


The Push and Pull

by satomobile



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-29
Updated: 2013-06-29
Packaged: 2017-12-16 13:53:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 69,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/862762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satomobile/pseuds/satomobile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the first moment Toph touched her daughter's face to the last- this story explores how Toph raised Lin, and how she came to be a mother in the first place. Tokka and Linzin down the line. The old Gaang and their offspring heavily featured.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to the World, Lin Beifong

**Author's Note:**

> Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

There was a final push in which Toph was certain her entire body was being split up the middle. She cried out from the pain before she heard a voice, battling her own- shrill and angry.

"Is it ok? What is wrong? Why is it crying like that?" she asked frantically, her voice laced with panic as tears poured from her eyes unabashedly.

"They always cry like that, Toph. Don't worry, she's fine," Katara reassured with a softness that juxtaposed the situation at hand.

"She?" Toph asked finally, "it's a girl?"

"It's a girl," Katara confirmed, her smile spreading. Toph took a breath, it felt like the first breath she'd ever taken. It was, as far as she was concerned the first breath she had ever taken in this life, her new life as a mother. Something inside her changed fundamentally upon hearing that child's cry. It was sudden, and quick, and overwhelmingly powerful. It was if the love inside her could not possibly be contained by her skin and she was bursting at the seams with such feeling that it might fill the room.

"I'm going to hand her to you now," Katara warned as she carefully placed the shrieking bundle along Toph's chest. Toph felt the small weight of the baby against her and gently moved her calloused hands along it until she had discerned which end was up and which was down. They both cried terribly and for once Toph didn't care. She wasn't embarrassed and she couldn't hold it in.

"She's beautiful," Katara told her kindly with a sniffle. She must have been crying too.

"Hi, baby," Toph said, voice thick. The baby went quiet, as if she had been waiting to hear that voice the entire time. The thought of it made Toph chuckle. "You've gone awfully quiet."

"She's looking at you," Katara informed her. Toph ran a finger along the baby's cheek.

"Do you think she can see me?" she asked.

"I think so," Katara confirmed.

"Good."

"I'll clean up in here, and then should I send everyone in or would you like to sleep?" Katara asked, moving to gather the rags at Toph's feet.

"You can send them in," Toph replied, only giving half of her attention to her friend. The rest of her focus was on the baby, who continued to squirm, but was no longer screaming. Toph traced her face with one finger as she spoke loving non-sequiturs in a low voice. When she got to the baby's mouth, her finger was quickly gobbled up with a suction surprisingly strong for such a small being.

Katara finished gathering the rags and dropped them into a large porcelain basin whose water turned a deep pink.

"I'll be right back," she said, sliding the rice paper door open and closed behind her. Moments later, Toph heard the door slide open again. The person stood at the edge of the room in silence.

"That you, Mo?" she asked, looking up toward the sound. Footsteps against the wooden floor closed in on her and he finally spoke from beside her.

"That's ours?" he asked quietly. Toph reached out for his hand, having to find it herself. She grabbed it from where it had been hanging limply at his side and gave it a light squeeze.

"You're scared," she stated. He gave her no immediate reply. "Hold her," she told him, gently lifting the baby away from her chest.

"I don't know how," he said weakly as he stared at the baby. Toph let out an aggravated sigh. "Just pick her up. Listen to Sifu Toph, young Dark One," she chided him, using the names they went by when they first met.

She felt the weight of the baby leave her proffered hands and waited for his reaction. "It's a girl," he said finally.

"I know," she affirmed with a nod. "What does she look like?"

"A little old man," he replied with a soft laugh. Toph struck him with her fist lightly.

"She has a lot of hair, its really dark. Ten fingers and toes. Her mouth is small like mine," he elaborated. She heard the door slide open again.

Katara entered, "I have some more visitors for you." Sokka appeared behind her in the doorway, followed by Aang who was holding his youngest son on his hip.

"Come on in, meet my progeny," Toph called to them as if she were a vendor advertising her wares.

"You survived," Sokka said happily.

"Barely," Toph replied, though it occurred to her she could scarcely recall the world of pain she was in just a few moments ago. It seemed to have disappeared and been quickly replaced by pride in her new daughter.

"Can I hold her?" Sokka asked.

Mo moved to hand her off, "Watch her neck, dude!" Sokka admonished him harshly as he accepted the girl. Katara gave her brother a significant look. He was always snapping at Mo and on more than one occasion she'd worried about why. With a glare that went unnoticed by Toph, Mo finished handing the baby to Sokka and stepped back, an outsider at the birth of his own child.

Sokka rocked from side to side with the little girl, transfixed by her cool stare. "I thought babies didn't open their eyes this soon," he commented.

"Bumi did," Aang chimed-in merrily, standing just over Sokka's shoulder which caused him to jump slightly. Sokka shot him a look of annoyance. Aang hardly noticed, he was far too excited by the new addition to their group. He gripped his son's wrist and moved it back and forth in a waving motion, "Say hi Tenzin," Aang cooed. Tenzin sucked his fist absently.

As if struck by a bolt of inspiration, Aang spun on his heel to face the room. "Guys, what if they got married? Wouldn't that be so cute?" he beamed as his eyes shone brightly.

"I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself there, Twinkletoes," Toph laughed. Undeterred, Aang turned back to Sokka and held his son over the newborn's face. "Tenzin, this is your future wife...hang on. Toph, did you guys pick a name yet?"

"Lin," Mo announced from across the room, "after my mother." Aang nodded gratefully.

"...this is your future wife, Lin. Lin, this is Tenzin." The little boy reached out one chubby hand that had not yet developed fine motor skills and smacked it against the babies' nose. Aang pulled him back quickly, embarrassed. "Whoops!" The baby fussed, puttering out little cries that never materialized into a fit. In response, Tenzin leaned forward again and sweetly gummed Lin's forehead, intending a kiss which earned him a resounding "Aww!" from the adults. Satisfied by the attention he clapped for himself.

"That's enough, you two," Katara commented, reaching her arms out toward her husband and son. Tenzin responded by outstretching his own stubby little arms and grasping for her. She took him to her hip and kissed his plump cheek, bouncing him ever so slightly as she watched Sokka transfer the baby into Aang's waiting hands.

"Hi, Lin," the Avatar greeted her softly. "I'm so glad to finally meet you. You are going to have so much fun here. We've got lots of little friends waiting to meet you."

Toph turned her attention his way, "Speaking of little friends- where are the kiddos?"

"Too hyper," Katara answered, "Suki's in the other room with them until they calm down enough to be around a newborn." As if on cue, there was a loud crashing noise from the other room. Katara wilted at the sound.

"Okay everyone, why don't we give these new parents some space?" she suggested. Aang reluctantly handed the baby back to Toph who accepted her with a sigh of relief.

"Congratulations," he smiled at her. Sokka was at her side next, he leaned forward and kissed the baby's forehead, then moved up to kiss Toph's cheek.

"Get some rest," he smiled and for some reason Toph felt a lump rising in her throat. She didn't reply, she simply pressed her lips together and nodded attempting to disguise the wave of emotion that washed over her. Moments later she heard the door slide closed and she was alone, with her family. Mother, Father, and Child were all silent for a moment.

"I'm starving," Toph announced, finally breaking the awkward silence in the room.

"I'll go get you something," Mo replied, sounding oddly relieved to be excused.

"Make it greasy," Toph called after him as she heard the wooden end of the door knock against the frame.

It was quiet again and Toph considered how silence was much less awkward this time around. Silence among family was supposed to be comfortable. But then, Mo was not really her family. He was her student, the pain in her ass that she found herself kissing one day after practicing forms. The night it happened was not so different from most- she had drilled her students and they'd all left grumbling. The only anomaly was that the Dark One had decided to sit beside her as the others filed past. He told her that he was grateful for this place, that without her he would still be under his fathers' thumb. They related on the subject of overbearing, wealthy parents- like her, he was from a family privileged enough to have a surname. Unlike her, Mo's mother had died, leaving his father idle and determined to turn his son into something of an alpha male. It didn't sit well as Mo considered himself to be an artistic person with the soul of a poet. Toph explained her own situation and in the middle of doing so, felt his mouth close over hers. Her reaction wasn't romantic, but rather carnal. She didn't feel giddy at the thought of him and as far as she knew he never felt that way for her either. They were never together as an item- a relationship was so unimportant to them that neither had even thought to bring it up. It just so happened that every week or so, these two people who both felt they were too damaged to be loved, found solace in each other- no strings attached. Until the day Toph woke up with two heartbeats, that is.

She knew it as soon as her feet made contact with the stone flooring. Her blood ran cold and she shook nervously. She remembered taking a deep breath and asking the spirits to tell her she was mistaken. Letting the air from her lungs she waited for it to go away, but it continued beating inside her stubbornly. Only a week ago, she had established the metalbending police of Republic City- this was horrible timing. She hadn't even been with Mo in over a month. He decided not to join her force, but instead take off and lose himself in the art scene at Ba Sing Se. Desperate for advice on the issue, she made her way to Air Temple Island to speak with the most motherly person she knew. Dust from the construction of the temples blew across her giving her some sense of calm after stepping from the ferry.

The screaming of children filled the air as Toph entered the Avatar's home. This would certainly never do. The mobile children swarmed her, gripping either leg and shouting "Aunt Toph!" as Katara rocked her month old boy, Tenzin gently.

"Can we talk in private?"

"Of course," Katara told her, brow furrowing. "Kids- why don't you go help Dad work on setting up those airbending gates?"

The room cleared quickly and it was time for Toph to speak. "I'm pregnant," she said plainly. Katara was quiet, confused perhaps. "How? No, not how. I guess what I mean is, who?" she stuttered finally.

"Just this guy," was all she could think to say. She had to laugh at herself, her situation with Mo was so trivial, Toph had never even mentioned it to her closest friends.

"Does he know?"

"No," Toph sighed. That night, Katara helped her draft a letter to be delivered to the address he'd left her "in case you ever find yourself in the big city." Mo was almost the last to find out. Almost.

There was one person Toph dreaded telling this news to above all others. It had been easier to tell her judgmental parents that it was to tell Sokka. She knew it wasn't right, that she was totally crazy to even think about him romantically now that his relationship with Suki had progressed so far, but somehow Toph could never really get over her crush on this goofy watertribe boy turned councilman. His reaction was unexpected. She anticipated his respect for her to decline rapidly, like a stone sinking in the water. Unwed mothers were extremely uncommon and very much pariahs in proper society. Instead of casting her out in judgement, he pulled her into a hug and told her that he would always be there for her- for them- no matter what. If it had been less shocking, she would have cried.

When Mo arrived at the train station in the heart of the city with a bag over his shoulder, Toph was there to greet him, baby bump just large enough that the armor she'd so recently designed no longer fit. They went out for noodles and talked about the future. They concluded that it would be best to try and be together. Neither of them wanted to commit to getting married, but for appearances and for the life growing inside her belly- Mo moved into Toph's home on the outskirts of the city.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Toph said aloud to the baby on her chest, recalling the conversation from months ago. The little girl began fussing and on instinct, Toph maneuvered her into position at her breast. Lin happily latched on, greedy for a meal. The mother smiled, stunned by the change in her feeling. She had never wanted a child, but now Toph stoked Lin's fine hair slowly and wondered how on earth she could love something this much.

"Welcome to the world, Lin Beifong."


	2. The Talent

Another twelve hour day behind her, Toph ambled her way through the city streets back to her home, eager for some rest and relaxation. It was only another ten seconds before she remembered that she had a kid. Rest and relaxation had become completely foreign concepts to her the day Lin entered the world. There was no such thing as a good nights' sleep or a quiet evening at home. There was only chaos and Lin. It shocked her that such a tiny human being could cause so much destruction before it was even able to stand. Baby Beifong had gone mobile at seven months old and Toph's world had been turned upside down by this little being's ability to crawl. Lin would lift herself up from her stomach, push against the ground with her dimpled knees and sashay a few feet forward before pausing to rock back and forth in this position. At this point she would move forward again and, without fail, discover some choking hazard and promptly insert it into her mouth. These adventures always ended in a fit of screaming as Toph pried her mouth open and dug around desperately for spirits knows what.

"Babies are stupid," Toph commented once after pulling a yuan coin from her daughters' throat. Katara choked on a laugh at her words.

"Seriously, who looks at a coin and thinks, 'hmmm this windpipe sized object is perfectly safe to suck on'? Babies- that's who."

Katara pat Toph's arm as she watched Mo bouncing Lin on one knee in an attempt to calm her after she'd been so rudely excavated by her mother.

"It could always be worse, Toph," Katara reminded her, "you could be doing it alone." Toph had simply shrugged. Some days she thought it would be easier without Mo around. Today was one of those days. As her exhausted body entered the front door of their home, she became immediately aware of the objects littering the floor. Scanning the place via vibrations she made a mental note of throat sized objects in Lin's reach. There were six. A mixture of her seismic sense and heightened hearing told her that her daughter was crawling toward her. She could hear the strumming of a guitar coming from down the hallway as well. Leaning down, Toph stretched out her arms and smiled widely, "There's my baby!" she cooed as she felt Lin closing in. Finding her shoulders at last, Toph scooped her up by the armpits and planted a big wet kiss on her cherubic cheek.

"What did you get up to today, kiddo?" she asked in a silly voice, earning her a tug on her hair as a reply. "Ouch! Let go you little punk!" Toph laughed extracting her bangs from Lin's clenched fist. She placed one hand at her bottom and immediately pulled it up.

"You're wet," Toph sighed, armor creaking as her body slouched with disappointment. She walked forward down the hallway to greet Mo, who sat on the floor strumming various chords on a guitar.

"What're you doing?"

"Working on some music," he replied without looking up.

"She's wet," Toph told him factually.

"Oh."

"Why don't you write a song about that," Toph spat, shifting Lin in her arms, "Call it 'I'm a Lazy Ass Who Never Changes Diapers'"

"I checked her like ten minutes ago," he argued without enthusiasm.

"Whatever," was all Toph could come up with before she turned on her heel and headed into the nursery where she proceeded to hold Lin's squirming form down long enough to unpin and re-pin a diaper. The music had stopped at some point during her changing and when Toph emerged from the nursery she heard Mo moving around in the kitchen.

"I really did just check her," he reiterated. Toph was too exhausted to counter him so she opted instead to ask him the question that had really been burning her mind.

"Are you cooking?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I'm so hungry that if I weren't so attached to this kid, I'd eat her up right now," Toph joked, coming in quick to Lin's neck blowing raspberries and making gobbling noises. Lin responded with peals of laughter. With a contented breath, Toph placed her daughter on the floor and began scouring for items of a hazardous nature. She gathered them all and set them on a table out of reach. Lin motored along the room with no particular agenda.

"Hey. You got an eye on her? I wanna put my feet up," Toph called into the kitchen, which was open to the living room.

"Yeah, I will watch her," Mo agreed and she heard the woosh of the stove being lit.

Toph gave her daughter's backside one good pat before heading to her room and removing her armor. She slipped a tunic over her bindings and re-entered the living room, tossing herself back onto the couch with a thud. Reaching behind her head she fumbled around for the radio dial and turned on the local news program. The announcer was of the opinion that the disgruntled colonials from the Fire Nation were setting up a power structure of their own quicker than the police could assemble themselves.

"Some of us are working inside the law, dunderhead," Toph argued at the box. It infuriated her to hear this criticism almost as much as it did to hear stories of the old authority still loyal to Ozai, scratching out codes of triangles and sketches of Guan Yu on the doors of their terrified non-bending neighbors. The bracelet on her upper arm vibrated slightly. She reached up for it and slid it off, bending the metal into shapes that suited her mood. This action always seemed to calm her when she was annoyed. She jokingly called it her "metal health exercises," but knew that a big reason she was calmed by this little bit of space jewelry was because of the person who gave it to her. She had been seeing more and more of Sokka lately and all the old feelings were bubbling around in her gut when he would make some kind of in-joke or lightly punch her shoulder. They were working together on organizing the city- Aang was there of course, but he didn't have the same effect. Nobody had ever excited her the way Sokka did. Maybe they were bound by trauma. As a group, they had concluded they would never make bonds like the ones they formed in wartime. During this conversation, Sokka had squeezed her hand. Of course, his other hand was holding Suki's, but that was beside the point. She wasn't really one of them. The core four, Toph had taken to saying. The core four and Zuko. And Suki- and whatever. Toph liked Suki, she really did. Suki was tough, loyal and very funny. They were friendly, but never friends and both understood there was a good reason for that. She sighed, dropping her head back and feeling a hint of guilt nip at her thoughts as she savored the smell of sizzling meat wafting from her kitchen. Mo was the guy she was supposed to be interested in. She was trying. They both were.

"Toph..." Mo said in a quiet voice shaking her from her thoughts, "Toph, look."

She sighed, twirling her bracelet on one finger, "Do I really need to go over the blind thing with you again?"

"No, I mean, look," he whispered again. Catching his meaning, Toph let one foot drop off the edge of the couch and sent a small vibration across the floor. She sensed all the objects there. The house was a mess, there were toys scattered all over the place, a guitar, and of course her baby girl crawling across it all. And then Toph saw it, the thing Mo had asked her to look at. Her heart skipped a beat. Just below Lin's stomach was a dent in the flooring- in the shape of one tiny little hand.

"She's an earthbender," Toph concluded, suddenly finding herself full of energy. She shot off the couch and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Woo hoo! My baby is an earthbender!"

"I knew she would be," Mo affirmed, moving toward them was a delighted shriek from somewhere below them and Toph leaned down to scoop Lin into her arms.

"Of course you are an earthbender," she cooed happily rubbing her nose against her daughters'. Mo leaned in and kissed Lin's cheek.

Without further fanfare, Toph lowered herself onto the floor lying flat on her stomach, after positioning Lin alongside. She sent a small wave through the floor, Lin giggled at the sensation and sat up, clapping.

"No, no kiddo," Toph sighed, flattening her daughter against the ground again. "Bend it for Momma." She sent another little pulse in the direction of Lin. The toddler had no reaction beyond babbling, "Dada."

"Ok first of all, MA-MA," Toph annunciated as she pressed her own hand against the ground creating a print, "and secondly- do this." Lin placed her small hand in the indentation of her mothers and pat it fondly. Toph sighed, dejected.

"She's not going to do it again," Mo told her from somewhere above.

Toph huffed at him, "She damn well will."

"Just come eat," he whined at her.

"How can you not be excited about this?" Toph snapped at him, over her shoulder. She couldn't fathom his nonchalance. Perhaps it was because bending was such an integral part of her identity. Nobody saw the world as Toph did, except maybe this little girl beside her. Her daughter, her only real family.

"I'm excited, its just not much of a surprise. We are both earthbenders after all," he finished shrugging. Toph had tuned him out already and resumed making divots in the stone floor. They would appear and disappear just as Lin slammed her palm against them, popping up at random as she squealed with delight.

"Ok you try," Toph finally said, pausing. Lin slammed a palm against the ground, creating another dent on impact.

Toph clapped manically, "Good girl!" She ran a finger across the dent sentimentally and felt a stinging in her eye. Toph made another dent, Lin mimicked her by creating another.

Toph pointed between the two concave circles in the floor.

"Same, same," she grinned.

She pointed at her chest, just above her heart, then tapped Lin's little nose.

"Same, same," she repeated with a smile that reached her tearful eyes.


	3. You and Me

By her fourth year of life Lin had shed most of her baby fat and was now a long, willowy creature with dark hair, bright green eyes, and a personality all her own. She had become so thin, in fact, that Sokka had taken to calling her "Bones." Sokka and Bones spent a lot of time together. The representative of the Southern Water Tribe on Republic City's Council had a lot of free time on his hands while his girlfriend Suki was away in the Fire Nation serving the Fire Lord as a Kyoshi Guard. While it bothered him that she split her time between the City and the Fire Nation, he found plenty to do with one of his oldest friends and champion drinking buddy, Toph Beifong. Especially now that she had a kid. On days off they would take Lin to the zoo, to the park, or just to play with his niece and nephews on Air Temple Island.

Toph loved days like these, Mo hated them. Occasionally, Mo would wake to find a hand written note on the table from Sokka:

Took Lin out for the day- back by dinner.

When Mo complained about it to Toph, she would shrug and tell him he ought to wake up earlier if he cares so much.

"Babies don't sleep in," she would tell him, her tone full of disapproval.

Comments like this from Toph were offhanded and many. It was safe to say they had pretty much given up on trying to make their romantic relationship work. It was a private, unconscious decision to simply stop putting effort into something neither really wanted. They didn't talk about it, but to those who knew them it was fairly obvious they had become mere roommates. They had tried to make it work once, had hoped that if they pretended to like each other long enough true affection would grow between them. In reality, the opposite had occurred. They resented each other. It had been over a year since they had touched one another in any meaningful way, though they continued to share a bed up until one evening around five months ago.

The lights were out and Mo and Toph lay in the dark, silent. He'd just arrived home, well after midnight and crawled under the blankets beside the mother of his child, careful not to touch her. He knew she was awake, though she pretended to be asleep, the pattern of her breathing gave her away. He watched shadows dance across the ceiling for some time, gathering the courage to say what he'd wanted to tell her for over a month.

"I have a girlfriend," he finally confessed in a low voice. More than a minute passed before Toph made any motion to acknowledge his statement.

"Is that supposed to piss me off or something?" she said, breaking her silence. She remained on her side, eyes closed. Casual.

"I don't know. Yes...maybe," he whispered.

"I don't want her around my kid," Toph told him plainly. He nodded, conveniently leaving out the fact that Lin had already met the new woman in his life.

"What does this mean, for us?" He asked after a long silence. Toph gave a small shrug without shifting from her sleeping position, "That you should sleep on the couch?"

Wordlessly, he stood and grabbed a blanket from the closet and made his way down the hall to his new bed. It wasn't the answer he wanted. He wanted Toph to let him off the hook, feeling too weak to do it on his own. So, they continued playing house instead. Pretending to be a family for the benefit of their daughter who even at the age of four realized she was in the middle of a charade.

Mo didn't remain on the couch for long, he eventually took over Lin's tiny twin sized bed piled high with plush badgermoles. Lin began sharing the large bed in the master room with her mother. They had called it a slumber party at first, hoping she would be too excited to question the change in sleeping arrangements. It didn't work.

"Come to bed with us, Dad!" Lin ordered him one night after brushing her teeth.

"I don't think so, Lin. You go ahead," he replied. Lin crossed her arms and scowled. She could scowl like a professional.

"How come you never sleep in the same bed as Mom? Bumi said everybody's parents are supposed to share a bed."

"Its a long story, kiddo," Toph provided, "now get your behind under those covers post haste."

"Can you tell me the story before bed, Mom?" He heard Lin ask as she scampered down the hallway.

"Not a chance," Toph called after her. She looked in his direction, "G'night."

Their life became separated into shifts. In the morning, before the sun even kissed the dark sky with its warmth, Toph would drag her young daughter out to the yard to practice earth bending for an hour. Lin would rub the sleep from her eyes and shiver in the cool air as her mother tied a blindfold around her head and began hurling sheets of earth in her direction. They went hard like this each day and it was a point of contention with Mo, who felt this was far too rigorous for a child of four. Toph would tell him Lin was a step behind already. She was sighted and that was a disadvantage- she would have to practice twice as hard if she wanted to be as good as her mother. Besides, she enjoyed it. When asked if she did, in fact, enjoy training- Lin would reluctantly nod, unwilling to defy her mother whom she considered a personal hero.

After an hour had passed, Toph would settle her daughter at the table with a bowl of cereal and go over a list of praises along with a list of things to improve. When it was finally time for Toph to leave for Police Headquarters in the heart of the city, she would kiss Lin's dirty cheek and depart confident that she was giving her daughter the best upbringing possible.

A weary Lin would crawl into the tiny twin bed with her sleeping father, mud-matted hair and all. They would sleep for a few more hours and when they would finally wake, Mo would take Lin into the city.

He took her to eccentric tea shops, art museums, performance houses and to visit his girlfriend, Rie. She was a bohemian girl that worked in a noodle house, but considered her true occupation to be that of an artist. Rie would join them for some excursions and occasionally they went to her impossibly tiny apartment in Dragon Flats to paint together. Lin had a natural talent for art which Mo encouraged. At home, art was discouraged by her mother who considered it pointless for obvious reasons. Toph's attitude about art bothered Mo to no end. His time with Rie was a relief for him and he believed it was also the right thing for his daughter.

As the sun began to set, Mo would instruct Lin to say farewell to their secret friend and send her outside to wait for him. Lin would stand against the wall outside Rie's apartment for several minutes each time, bored stiff waiting for her father. All kinds of questionable characters would pass her. Most would ignore the little girl, some would smile, and some would speak. On this particular day, Lin was leaning against the wall as she always did when an older woman approached her. She was toothless and babbling. Lin politely looked away, hoping that if she ignored the woman, the woman would ignore her. Unfortunately, the woman didn't seem to understand these social cues and she continued to babble nonsense and curse words at the little girl. When the woman finally reached out to touch Lin's face, she'd been terrified enough to move. She dipped her head away quickly and maneuvered out of her grasp, turning to re-enter the apartment only to find the door was stuck.

She banged against the splintered wood feverishly, screaming for her father as her heart pounded against her ribs frantically. She gave the door another shove as the woman closed in on her and went tumbling into the apartment to the shock of Rie and her father who were mid-embrace.

The woman entered after her only to be chased out by Mo who threatened to call the police. Lin cried inconsolably, begging for her mother. Rie offered her a glass of water and tried to explain that some people just aren't right in the head. Lin refused the water, insisting the only thing she wanted was her Mom, because she was the police. It took nearly thirty minutes for Lin's drawn out sobs to become sniffles and she departed hand in hand with her father.

"I know that must have been scary," he told her as they walked the streets back to their home, "but you can't tell Mom about it. Remember we made a promise?"

"But you even said we should call the police," Lin argued, wiping her runny nose against her forearm.

"I know, but that crazy old lady left anyway. If you told your Mom about it, she would just worry about you. She doesn't need to worry about you, right? You were so brave!" He told her encouragingly. His compliment brought a smile to his daughters face and he squeezed her hand. "Don't you think you were brave?"

Lin nodded, "I wasn't even scared," she announced, suddenly convinced this was the case.

"That's my girl," Mo cheered, scooping her up.

They arrived home and as usual, he started dinner. It wouldn't be long before Toph returned from work. Upon hearing the sound of shuffling metal, Mo would excuse himself. He would tell Toph an edited version of what they had done that day and leave with a guitar slung over one shoulder. He scheduled his performances at evening venues to avoid their uncomfortable domestic situation and sometimes he simply went out to drink with Rie. It would be up to Toph to clean up after dinner, which as far as she was concerned entailed piling all the dishes in the sink, giving them one good spray of water, and forgetting about them.

After finishing dinner, she would take Lin out to the yard again to practice. This time for two hours. Even in spite of her tender age, Toph would not give her daughter much slack when it came to earthbending drills. To Toph's credit, Lin was more skilled in bending at the age of four than many were at the age of forty. Tonight, however, she noticed something was a little off with her daughter who wasn't laughing or taking much joy in her abilities as she usually did.

"What's up, baby girl?" Toph asked as Lin extracted herself from the pile of dirt her mother had sunk her into.

"Sorry, Mom," Lin said quickly straightening herself and taking her horse stance.

"You know what, kid- let's cut it short tonight," Toph told her, sympathetically. She could hear the exhausted resignation in her daughter's voice when she agreed, "Ok. Thanks Mom"

First order of business was bath time, because while Toph felt a nice layer of dirt was healthy for an earth bender, child protective services felt otherwise. It was in the bath that night that Lin said something that would change the course of their lives.

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Lin questioned as she absently walked her toy ducks along the rim of the tub.

"Anything," Toph replied with a laugh as she soaped her daughters back. It always amused her how serious her four year old could sound.

"How come you and Dad never kiss?"

Toph paused, unsure how to answer her, "Why would you wanna know that, huh? That's gross parent stuff."

Lin shrugged, "Bumi says parents are supposed to kiss each other..."

"Boy, that Bumi sure is a fount of knowledge, isn't he?" Toph grumbled under her breath.

"...and his parents always kiss," Lin continued, "but the only person Daddy kisses is Rie."

Toph froze.

"Who is Rie?" she asked, attempting to keep her voice even. She asked, though she knew the answer. Rie must be the girlfriend Mo mentioned, the one he promised not to bring around their daughter.

Lin immediately flushed red, "I'm not supposed to tell."

Toph almost screamed at that, but instead put her hands on Lin's shoulders and spun her around so they were facing one another.

"Listen to me, baby girl. No matter what anybody says to you, no matter who says it, you can always tell me, got it?"

"Got it," Lin said quietly.

"You know why?" Toph continued.

"Because we're same, same." Lin stated, using the phrase she and her mother often used to identify their closeness.

"Exactly," Toph smiled, "now is there anything else you want to tell me?"

There was a brief silence in the room before Lin's words began tumbling out, an avalanche of confessions. She spoke urgently, as if keeping these secrets inside a moment longer would corrode her insides. Toph learned all about Rie, all about the babbling woman, and all about Mo's attempt to revise these events.

When the bath was finished, Toph wrapped a towel around her daughter and lifted her from the tub. She bestowed a kiss on her wet hair as her blood boiled, thinking of the conversation to come. She would be damned if anyone would come between her and her baby.

It was nearing midnight when Mo arrived home. He opened the front door and let his guitar slide from his shoulder and onto the ground. It was a dark in the house- the only light was the soft glow emanating from Toph's bedroom. He heard his daughter's muted voice as well- she was speaking slow and careful. He pushed the door open to find Toph laying back, stroking Lin's hair as she read a stack of papers.

"The female had a one inch con-c-con," Lin struggled to read the word.

"Just sound it out," Toph encouraged.

"Contusion" Lin announced happily.

"There you go!" Toph smiled. Lin continued, "The female had a one inch contusion above her right eyebrow...what is a contusion?"

"Its a bruise," Toph answered.

"Oh."

"I thought we agreed that she shouldn't be reading your police reports," Mo interrupted from the doorway. The girls looked up at him.

"Just like we agreed that you weren't going to bring Lin around your special friend?" Toph asked pointedly. Mo sighed.

"Lin, why don't you go to bed," Toph said, sitting up straight and taking the papers from her hands.

"This is my bed," Lin argued.

"Not tonight. Now go on- Dad and I need to talk," Toph told her as she got out of bed, dragging her daughter along. When Toph set her down, Lin didn't budge. "Go on, Lin." Toph repeated.

Lin crossed her arms and frowned, "I don't want to."

"And I don't want to argue- so go to bed." Lin held her ground. "Dammit, Lin. Go to bed or you're grounded." Lin simply squirmed on the spot, whining incoherently.

"What did I just say?" Toph shouted.

Lin let out an exaggerated sob at the injustice of it all as she turned to stomp out of the room. She gave her father a regretful look as she passed, clearly sorry she had mentioned their time with Rie. When Toph was certain Lin was in her own bed, audibly whining still, she began,

"So..." Toph led.

"So."

"So want to know the most awkward moment of my day?" Toph asked. She waited through a moment of Mo's silence before she answered her own question, "it was definitely the part where our kid asked me why Dad kisses other girls."

"Whatever," Mo mumbled. He made a move to exit, not quite in the mood for this conversation.

"Whatever?" Toph repeated, incredulous. She kicked up a rock wall before him to block his progress into the hall. He bent it back into the floor. "Goodnight," he told her solidly.

"I don't think so," Toph told him as she followed him into the hall, "you listen up, Moochee!"

Toph knocked Lin's door closed as she passed it in the hall. She pursued Mo into the living room, where he was already grabbing his guitar again.

"Don't call me that," he told her, with a hint of laughter. He was drunk.

"Oh I'm sorry, I know you get offended by your real name. But your parents sure knew how to pick it- it describes you perfectly, a mooch!" she hissed at him, attempting to keep her voice low.

"Good one, Toph," Mo replied sarcastically.

"Don't try to be cute with me," Toph continued, "how dare you take my daughter out to some dingy place and let her get attacked by a crazy person!"

"She's fine," Mo whined.

"You are a real piece of work. Send your kid out into the hallway with a bunch of drug addicts so you can make out with your girlfriend without being caught. You are disgusting."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" he snapped, suddenly serious.

"Of course I know what I'm talking about, Mo. I'm the Chief of Police- I know this kind of thing all too well. I just saw a guy today that claimed he had been bloodbent, what if someone had done that to Lin while you locked her outside? What then?"

Mo rolled his eyes. It wasn't even a full moon.

"Rie got a job in Ba Sing Se. Asked me to go with her," he told her suddenly, "I said I would."

Toph scoffed, "And do what with Lin?" He shrugged. Toph continued, a little less confident, "What am I supposed to do with her while I'm at work?"

Mo shrugged again, "Have Sokka watch her? He seems to think he's her Dad anyway."

"Come off it, Mo. You are being an ass," Toph retorted, annoyance dominating her tone.

"You are just mad that I've got someone," he countered. Toph laughed. "I've got someone and you're still waiting for Sokka to leave his girlfriend. Well, bad news Toph- I know you can't see and all, but she's hot and its never going to happen."

Mo dodged a rock that sailed at his head, it slammed against the far wall and shattered.

"Get out," she told him coldly. He lifted his hands in the air as if to surrender.

"No problem," he said walking out the door.

The door closed and Toph sank to the floor, holding her head in her hands. It was a mean thing to say, but not altogether untrue. What she was really worried about was what she would do with her daughter now that her daytime caretaker was out of the picture. What would she tell Lin when she asked where her Dad had gone?

She stood and made her way down the hall, cracking Lin's door open. She didn't stir. Toph listened to her slow, measured breaths assuring her that Lin had slept through the argument.

Relieved and thankful for this one thing, she whispered into the dark room, "looks like its just you and me, kid."


	4. The Longest Day

The first thing that Lin noticed out of place that morning was the sun. It was up and shining while she was still in bed. Her mother never let her sleep this late- she'd been told that the day she mastered metalbending she could choose her own practice hours, but until then Lin was subject to Toph's schedule.

She hadn't so much as moved a coin.

Lin wiped her youthful eyes and slid out of her small bed with her favorite stuffed badgermole in hand to pull the door open, which took some effort from her angle. She walked into her parent's room first, finding it empty. Fear began creeping across her body at their absence and she dropped her stuffed animal, sprinting down the hallway and into the living room with an urgency only a lost child could employ.

Halting at the edge of the room, she finally spotted her mother sitting at the kitchen table. Toph's feet were in front of her on the seat, legs folded inward with her arms wrapped protectively around, head perched on her knees looking contemplative. The abnormality of this morning caused an uneasy feeling to settle in Lin's stomach as she watched her mother, who didn't seem to notice her presence.

"Mama?" Lin ventured quietly, afraid she may not get any response.

Toph's chin lifted from her knees quickly, looking just past Lin.

"Hey baby! Good morning!" Toph greeted her with a cheerfulness that didn't ring true. Lin stepped forward, tentatively. Toph opened her arms toward Lin, "Come on up here with me!"

Lin ran forward, climbing into her mother's lap eagerly. Toph squeezed her daughter tightly and Lin hugged back. They remained this way for almost a full minute.

"Mom," Lin whispered, just at her ear. "Whats wrong?"

Toph swallowed and pulled Lin back, holding her out so they could face one another and with a broad smile assured her, "Nothing is wrong, kiddo! I have a great idea though, how about some ice cream for breakfast?"

Lin narrowed her eyes at her mother, skeptical of this suggestion, but unwilling to pass on the offer, "Ok."

"Ok!" Toph nodded enthusiastically, setting Lin in a nearby seat and standing. She reached into the deep freezer, pulling out a small paper box containing the sweet treat. She placed the entire package before Lin, then opened a drawer and sent a spoon sailing across the room, landing before her daughter with a dinging sound.

Lin looked to each side, waiting for a rational adult to come in and stop her, but found only her mother who appeared to be a suspiciously chipper accessory to this culinary crime. Lin dipped her spoon in, gouging out a scoop that was much too large for her small mouth. She continued nonetheless.

"Why aren't we practicing?" Lin asked, chin dripping with the overflow of melting cream.

"I thought we could take a day off," Toph replied from beside her. She leaned down, coming face to face with Lin and giving her a another smile, "What would you say if I told you that you could come down to the station today? You can be my deputy!"

Lin's face split into a grin, causing nearly everything in her mouth to pour out. The mess went unnoticed by Toph.

"Do I get a badge?" she asked.

Toph nodded, "I'll have the guys bend one for you!" Lin wiggled in her seat with excitement. When Toph straightened herself out, thankful to have avoided the painful news she would have to break eventually, Lin spoke again.

"Where's Dad?"

Toph's face fell. She wasn't ready to tell her that Mo had left. She was still hopeful that he might return, but knew that was about as likely as her sight miraculously developing. She decided another attempt at evasion was in order.

"Hmm?" she asked as she made her way out of the room. Toph was in her bedroom, bending on her uniform before Lin had a chance clarify herself. Having suited up, she turned to leave her room, nearly tripping over one of Lin's stuffed badgermoles. She pulled the plush animal to her chest and hugged it tightly as a few enterprising tears slipped down her cheeks against the will of their creator. It was a moment of panic- a rare instance of weakness for the earthbender. It wasn't Mo she cried for. It wasn't even the idea of Lin going without a father. It was the sudden pressure she felt. The crushing knowledge that she had to do this alone. The overwhelming feeling of responsibility to her daughter was heavier than the armor she wore. Her daughters' health and happiness depended solely on her ability to provide a home, a meal, a supportive environment. Parenting was one area in which her confidence was not endless. And for the first time in her life, Toph Beifong felt truly disabled.

Disabled, but not helpless she reminded herself. With a quick wipe of her face she returned to the kitchen, having reapplied a plasticine smile across her face.

"Ready to fight some crime, baby girl?" she asked.

Lin dropped her spoon and threw her hands in the air.

Toph arrived at Police Headquarters fifteen minutes later than usual. Striding through the lobby and to her office, she didn't notice the looks from her subordinate officers or from the poor souls that found themselves awaiting bail in low-security communal cells. The hustle and bustle of the station sounded normal, so she pressed onward with her young daughter gripping her hand happily.

It wasn't the fact that she had brought her daughter to work that drew their attention, so much as the state she was in. Without Mo's assistance, Lin left the house looking somewhat like a street urchin. Her blind mother failed to notice her extreme case of bed-head which was aided in wildness by the cream Lin had managed to get in her hair, or the two different shoes she wore, or the sticky mess that remained smeared across her face.

"Penga- catch me up," Toph demanded of her student-turned-officer-turned-secretary as she passed her desk. Penga hopped up from her seat, grabbing a stack of papers and following Toph into her office.

Toph pulled her chair out and instead of sitting in it, picked Lin off the ground and placed her there.

Penga slid to a stop when she saw the little girl, "Oh. You brought your daughter...?"

"Yeah. Can you get her something to draw with?"

"Uh...sure," Penga agreed, looking past her boss at Lin, "Hi cutie," she waved at the little vagabond. Lin simply pushed against her mother's large desk, giving herself a spin in the chair. "Um. Chief Beifong? Are you sure you want me to brief you with...delicate ears in the room?"

Toph shrugged, "She's alright."

"Ok, well...we had an overnight call from a frantic wife. Says her husband had been bloodbent," Penga said quietly, worried that she might scare the young girl who continued to spin merrily.

"Second time this week," Toph exhaled, frustrated. "It's not even a full moon."

Penga shrugged. "He went to the hospital- healers say his injuries were consistent."

Toph nodded, "We got someone down there to interview him?"

"Yes."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Nothing big- a couple domestic disturbance calls," Penga offered with a shrug, "the only real pressing issue is the press, they got wind of the alleged bloodbending and they have been calling all morning."

"Tell them we have no statement at the moment. I meet with the council tomorrow- after that and interviewing the victim we can schedule a press conference. Until then we say nothing- got it?" Toph told her sternly.

"Got it," Penga agreed as she turned to leave. Suddenly, she turned on her heel and spun to face her boss again, "Oh and Councilman Sokka called twice this morning. Wants to know if you are available for lunch."

Toph felt her skin flush suddenly at the mention of his name. Her desire to tell him yes was equal to her desire to tell him no. She wanted to see him, but did not relish the idea of explaining what happened with Mo last night. She wasn't ready to admit her failure to anyone just yet.

"I will call him, thank you," she said finally, though she had no intention of doing anything of the sort. She figured if he really wanted to have lunch with her he would have to come by in person to request it.

He did.

It was only a minute past noon when Penga appeared at the doorway again, "Councilman Sokka is here to see you," she announced.

Toph's head snapped up from where she had been kindly pretending to be impressed by Lin's illustrations of cops, robbers, and various other scenes.

"Sokka!" Lin shouted in celebration as he came through the door, looking tall and strong as usual, but there was something that darkened his features too. Something out of place that disappeared when he laid curious eyes on Lin.

"Bones!? What are you doing here?" He smiled at her and looked over at Toph who stood beside her daughter, solemn-faced.

"I'm helping," Lin told him happily, straightening the oversized officers cap she wore that threatened to extinguish her head like a candle snuffer.

"I can see that," he laughed as he advanced toward Toph's desk, "did Mom hire you to do the police sketches?"

Lin shook her head and held up a picture, "No, I'm drawing people. This one is me, and Mom, and Dad," she swapped it out for another, "This one is me and Kya."

Sokka eyed it critically, shooting a look at Toph who stood to the side with her arms crossed, quietly. He looked back at Lin's drawing, "What's going on over here?" He asked pointing out two forlorn figures that were huddled under the green grass.

"That's Tenzin and Bumi," she explained, "I bent them under ground because no boys allowed."

Sokka laughed- he was also close enough now that he could see the disheveled state of the little girl.

"What's going on, Toph?" He questioned finally.

Toph shrugged, "The department is a little low on money and I can pay her a quarter of what I would pay a regular forensic artist," she joked.

"No really, what is she doing here?"

"I'm helping," Lin repeated, annoyed that he didn't seem to take her answer seriously the first time around.

Toph deflated and grabbed Sokka's arm, leading him out the big doors of her office.

"Penga, can you do me a favor and keep an eye on the Deputy?" Toph asked, jerking her head at Lin as they exited. Penga nodded and then smiled demurely at Sokka.

Toph dragged Sokka down a hallway and into the interrogation room typically used for grilling criminals to the point of confession. Bending the door closed behind them, she began her own act of contrition.

"Mo left," she sighed.

"Left?"

"He moved to Ba Sing Se with his girlfriend," she elaborated.

"His what?" Sokka shouted in complete surprise, "When did this happen?"

"He left last night," Toph explained. She rubbed her neck awkwardly as she admitted, "I've known about the girlfriend for awhile now though."

She was grateful that she couldn't see his face, which she assumed was full of judgement. Sokka never understood why she stayed with him in the first place and now that it was revealed he had been with someone else- Toph probably appeared desperate and pathetic. Her friends couldn't understand where she was coming from. They had things like soul mates and happy families- things Toph felt she was never destined to have.

She felt the weight of Sokka's arms closing around her, "I'm sorry, Toph" he whispered gently. They clung to one another in silence for a moment before he spoke again, "Must be something in the water."

Toph pulled back, "Hmm?"

She heard Sokka gather a breath, "I got this from Suki yesterday." He held out a piece of paper somberly and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Sokka..." she led, waiting for him to catch on.

"Oh, right," he chuckled sadly before unfolding it in his own hands and taking a moment to stare at Suki's fine brush strokes. "She uh, she broke it off."

In Toph's mind, this news was far more shocking than her own. She'd expected Mo's behavior, but always assumed things between Sokka and Suki were a constant stream of happiness and sunshine. This time she reached out and touched his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Actually, I am," He replied with a hint of sad amusement, "I guess we've been growing apart for awhile now. She didn't say anything in this letter that I haven't thought before. I think I will always care about her, you know? When I read this yesterday I was... disappointed more than anything. I thought we could make it work."

Toph gave him a small punch, "Don't beat yourself up about it."

"Yeah," he agreed as he rubbed his arm at the point of impact, "why bother when I've got you here to do it for me." They both laughed at that.

Coming down from laughter on a sigh, Sokka smiled at his friend, "On the bright side, Lin seems to be taking the news pretty well."

"Funny you should mention that," Toph replied with reluctance in her words, "I haven't told her yet."

Sokka slapped his forehead.

"I know, I know," Toph hastily provided, "I just don't know how to tell her. I have no idea what I'm going to do with her during the day! I mean- I gave the poor kid ice cream for breakfast. I'm not cut out for this shit, Sokka!"

Sokka reached out and took her hand, "Shh. Toph? Toph relax. You are a great Mom," he told her quickly as he squeezed her hand. "I say after work today, we go over to Air Temple Island and talk to Katara. She stays home with the kids- I'm sure she will have no problem adding another. And then, I say we consult some adult beverages about our horrible days."

Toph smiled, "I can get behind that last part."

Sokka nodded proudly at his idea, "See? Not so bad. If there is any issue with Katara taking her during the day we will figure something out."

"What's with all this 'we' stuff?" Toph asked, amused.

Sokka shrugged, "I said I would have your back, didn't I? Even though that was a long time ago, when 'Bones' was nothing but 'Cells' I still mean it."

Toph smiled, her first genuine smile of the day, "Thanks, Sokka."

"If you want to thank me, you will come with me to lunch. I am starving," he replied.

"Yeah, ok. Let's go grab Lin before she takes over my job."

Explaining her situation to Katara and Aang proved to be an easy task once Toph had told Sokka. It helped to have him at her side, supporting her as she asked for Katara's help with Lin. Katara wasted no time wrapping her arms around Toph and reminding her that she didn't even have to ask- they were family. Aang was astounded and looked as if he might cry. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of someone leaving their family when he was so dedicated to his own.

They ate dinner together that night and afterward sent the children off to play. The four adults remained at the table, picking at their fruit pies and discussing the day's major events in low voices. Sokka poured out drinks for himself, Toph, and Katara who shrugged at Aang as she accepted the cocktail.

Katara had just finished ranting about Mo when her youngest son walked past them, arms full of old bed sheets. "Uh, honey. What are you doing?"

Tenzin paused, "Building a clubhouse," he answered seriously.

"Need some help?" Aang asked brightly.

"We don't need you, Dad!" Bumi shouted in response from the other room. Aang threw his hands up in resignation as Tenzin continued about his business.

"I hope Lin feels as strongly as Bumi," Toph commented sardonically as she sipped her drink.

"When are you going to tell her?" Katara asked when she was sure Tenzin was out of earshot.

Toph shrugged. It would have to be soon, clearly.

She stalled for a further three hours while they continued to speak, finding comfort in changing the subject to Sokka's letter. Aang and Katara were sufficiently distracted by this turn of events and Toph was grateful to have the spotlight off her own problems for awhile. The past twenty four hours felt like and eternity of self-doubt and stress.

When the bottle went dry, so did the conversation. Sokka rose to collect Lin and found the little girl huddled next to Tenzin in a rather elaborate blanket fort, faces passive in sleep, hands entwined. Aang was so excited by this scene that he hauled the cumbersome camera he had been gifted by Teo's father out of the shed and snapped a photo, careful not to wake them.

He needn't have worried. Even as Sokka dismantled the structure and extracted Lin from its covering, she continued to sleep deeply. She didn't wake even as he shifted her in his arms to rest her head along his shoulder.

She finally stirred when he handed her off to Toph at the end of their ferry ride. Lin's eyes fluttered and her lips smacked before she dozed off again quickly against her mother's breast.

"Goodnight, Toph," Sokka smiled as he kissed the metalbender's cheek.

"Night Sokka."

Upon arriving home, she settled Lin into bed and went about her evening routine. She washed, hoping that her worries would circle the drain along with the dirtied water. The heat from her bath did a marginal amount to relax her muscles, but they were tightened again upon exiting the bathroom to find Lin wide awake.

Toph fastened the robe around her waist and slipped into the bed next to her daughter.

"Hey kiddo- you're supposed to be asleep."

"I'm not tired," Lin replied with a yawn.

"Is that so?" Toph asked with a laugh, drawing Lin against her side for a cuddle.

They were silent for a few minutes, allowing enough time for Toph to relax, feeling the comforting weight of her baby at her side. Toph hovered above sleep, sinking slowly.

"Is Dad ever coming back?" Lin asked suddenly, waking her mother fully. Her voice was meek, fearful.

Toph let out a breath, "I don't think so, baby," she admitted in a whisper. Lin was quiet. Toph brushed Lin's hair back to press a kiss against her cheek and was startled when her lips picked up a hint of moisture.

"Lin, come here," Toph sighed, feeling the prickle of unshed tears in her own eyes. She shifted her daughter to rest against her chest and Lin let out a small squeak before shaking against her mother with quiet sobs.

"Its because I told," she cried against Toph's robe.

"No, it's not," Toph argued sternly, lifting her daughter away to speak with emphasis, "You did nothing wrong, you got me?"

Lin only whined and Toph drew her back in, whispering words of assurance.

"We have each other, Lin," Toph told her with as much positivity as she could muster.

"What if you leave too?" Lin asked with a sniffle.

"That will never happen, baby girl."

"Never?"

"Never ever," she confirmed, "Never ever."


	5. The Girl From Gaoling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Children begin by loving their parents; after a time, they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them." - Oscar Wilde

The coach was the most elaborate she had ever seen. Lin stared out the window shamelessly as her mother paced back and forth just behind, rambling under her breath. The ornate coach came to rest before the door and the driver disembarked, his robes silk and fine. He walked around to the door, opening it with a deep bow. The object of his deference was an old man- tall and thin with a wispy white mustache. He stepped regally from the carriage and was followed closely by a delicate looking woman who wore rare flowers in her hair. Lin was transfixed by these people she had been told were her grandparents, Lao and Poppy Beifong.

They made their way to the door proceeded by their driver who knocked for them. Toph took a deep breath and turned to her young daughter.

"Remember what we talked about?" She asked before turning the knob of the door. Lin nodded.

"Back straight," she confirmed.

Two weeks after her father's departure, the letter arrived and Toph had been drilling Lin on more than earthbending forms ever since. Lin read the elegant text aloud to her mother which explained her grandparents would be making the long journey from Gaoling. Lin didn't quite understand why those simple words caused her mother to squeeze her so tightly or why she suddenly became interested in manners. Toph began teaching Lin how to speak politely (only when spoken to, of course), how to bow (back straight), and which utensils to use with which course at dinner. And never, ever, under any circumstance say a dirty word or burp at the table.

Toph turned the knob and was assaulted by the scent of cherry blossoms and pomp as the door swung inward. There was a history behind that scent and the majority of it played out in Toph's memory immediately. Unwanted captivity, strained war years, uneasy reconciliation, the sound of her mother's soft cry upon learning Toph was pregnant, and finally reluctant acceptance. It was a scent that left her feeling love and judgement in the same heartbeat.

"Mom, Dad," Toph acknowledged with a shallow bow. A look passed between her parents that went unnoticed by her, but not by Lin. They returned her bow.

"Lovely to see you, dear," Toph's mother told her softly.

"Please, come in," Toph replied, sounding rather stiff in Lin's opinion. The elderly couple stepped over the threshold and into the house. It was clean, thankfully. Sokka had spent the previous day with Toph and Lin, scrubbing and sweeping in preparation for this visit. They made a game of it- Lin dusted away cobwebs along the ceiling from Sokka's shoulders and they mopped the floor by tying wet rags around their feet and having a dance contest. Katara had come by that morning to prepare the girls themselves. Lin had never had her hair tugged on so much in one sitting, but the end result did leave her feeling rather special. When she saw the pinkness on her mothers cheeks and the gold dusted across her eyelids, Lin was breathless -it was as if she were seeing someone from a fairytale book in real life. Katara continued by setting up a meal for Toph to serve as it was no big secret that Toph had never been culinarily gifted. Lin assisted Katara in preparing classic Earth Kingdom cuisine, while Toph sat at the table quietly drinking sake. When it was time for Katara to leave she gave Toph a lingering hug, "I'm sure its not what you think," she said before departing.

Lao and Poppy turned to take in their granddaughter. Their eyes on her was her cue and Lin bowed with one hand against the small of her back, careful to make sure it stayed straight. They were audibly pleased by her display and her grandmother moved forward with a soft smile.

"My, how you have grown," she told Lin. Lin smiled up at her politely, unaware that they had ever previously met.

"How old are you now, Lin?" Lao asked, his tone childishly exaggerated. It was a tone Lin associated babies and she did a poor job suppressing her sneer.

"Almost five," she told him defiantly.

"But not quite," Toph interjected with a nervous laugh, placing one hand on Lin's head as if to tell her to cool it with the attitude. She gestured to their dining room, "Shall we?"

"Of course," they replied in unison following Toph as she made her way to the table. It was set with fine china and two glowing candles, quite a departure from its normal clutter of laundry and spools of metal cable.

When everyone was seated, Toph disappeared into the kitchen only to return with steaming bowls of soup. The servant man in fine robes stood rigidly along the far wall. Lin's eyes kept flickering up to watch him, wondering when he would sit. Toph placed one bowl before her father, who looked up at her.

"Darling, do let Liang serve for you," he told Toph. Lin assumed correctly Liang was the sore thumb in the corner.

"It's ok," Toph returned, "he can sit. I have more than enough."

Liang himself looked offended at this notion, while Poppy appeared to deflate upon hearing Toph's words. Liang cleared his throat.

"Madam, it would please me to serve this meal," he spoke officially. Toph's expression faltered for just a moment and she clicked her tongue in annoyance. Her mother reached up to touch her arm lightly.

"Please Toph, so that we can all eat together?" she pled.

"Yeah, fine," Toph relented, pulling her own chair out. Liang moved quickly to hold the back, giving it a nudge forward as Toph took her seat.

The meal was tense, the air in the room felt electrically charged by things unsaid. The first few courses passed slowly and full of small talk. Lin was having trouble not fidgeting in her chair. Her opinion was rarely requested and her desire to drape a noodle across her upper lip was strong. She was relieved when Liang announced that dessert was up next.

As the plates from the main course were cleared, Lao and Poppy exchanged a knowing look. Lao straightened out his back before he spoke.

"Toph, I think you know why your mother and I have come all this way," he began, glancing at Lin, "we were recently at a gala in Ba Sing Se and you can guess who we ran into."

"Mo's dad?" Toph sighed. Her father nodded once. Predictable. How come all rich people seem to know each other?

"It seems he has been trying to contact his son to no avail," Lao continued.

"We have that in common," Toph muttered.

"There are some nasty rumors that he is living in the lower ring? Any idea about that?" Lao continued.

"I don't really care to be honest," Toph replied, back stiffening.

"You should," he told her as dessert was presented. Liang placed small stone bowls of green tea ice cream before each seat. Lin grabbed her spoon quickly, but set it down again when she remembered her mother's grave expression when she explained that grandfather must eat first.

"What I am really trying to say," Lao continued, lifting his spoon to Lin's delight, "is that perhaps its time to consider what will happen if he doesn't return."

Poppy and Lin dipped into their own ice cream immediately following Lao, but Toph left hers untouched- her appetite having all but disappeared.

"Nothing at all," Toph provided through thin lips.

"Lin, do you like ostrich horses?" Poppy asked suddenly. Lin nodded silently, mouth full of ice cream. "Wouldn't you like your very own ostrich horse?" Lin nodded again emphatically, but jumped in surprise when her mother's fist hit the table forcefully.

"No, dammit!" Toph proclaimed rising from her seat. The room went silent and Liang slinked back into the kitchen. "I am doing just fine on my own!"

"Now Toph," Lao said calmly, "please sit. No need to raise our voices."

"We just want what is best for Lin, sweetheart," Poppy followed kindly.

"I told you- I can take care of myself!"

"But what about her?" Lao countered, "Who will take care of Lin? You work, Toph. Spirits help me- my daughter does a man's job and without the support of a husband."

Lin looked between her grandparents and her mother, her heart raced at the scene unfolding before her.

"I've already taken the liberty of enrolling Lin at finishing school in Gaoling. It would be easier on you both if you would just let her come back with us," Poppy supplied in a light, but stern voice.

"She doesn't need finishing school," Toph protested through gritted teeth, "She needs a mother- and that's me. Not you. Not Dad. Not Mo and not anyone else. Me."

"Mom?" Lin asked in a timid voice, "I don't want to go anywhere."

"Don't worry baby, you are staying here with me," Toph assured without turning to face her.

"Think of how this looks, Toph. Think of what people will say- how they will treat her," Lao argued rationally.

"She will be fine," Toph insisted, "its not as if I am struggling. I'm not a failure," She argued sounding a bit like she were trying to convince herself more than her parents. "I invented metalbending, I established a police force, I helped win a war and I'm building a city."

"And none of that changes the fact that you are an unwed mother," Lao finished for her. His comment seemed negate her many arguments, leaving her speechless. Lin watched as her mother's cloudy eyes swam with tears.

It was not a sight she was used to seeing, though Toph had been crying quite a bit these days, she was careful to save her tears for late nights after Lin had drifted off to sleep. It was unsettling for Lin to see her mother in this light. Toph was a person she considered to be the world's greatest authority, and suddenly she was being diminished and bullied by a perfect stranger. Worse still, it was affecting her. His words cut through her as only the sharp blade of familiarity could. Lin's lip quivered in response, suddenly up was down and Mom was crying. Nothing made sense and she was frightened.

"Oh sweetheart," Poppy murmured sympathetically as she reached out one hand to touch Lin's face. Lin brushed her grandmother's hand away and leapt from her chair, running to cling to her mother's side. She buried her face in Toph's dress robes, inhaling the scent of perfume and mothballs with each gasp of air.

"I'd like for you to leave, please," Toph stated, straightening her back. Poppy instantly sprang from her seat.

"We are trying to help-"

"Well you aren't," Toph cut her off quick and cold. Lao sighed and placed his napkin on the table, standing finally.

"Toph, I hope you understand that we are doing this because we love you," he offered weakly. It was clear they had pushed their stubborn daughter a little too far this time. They would not be regaining any ground in this argument tonight. "But if you insist on doing this the hard way- on your own head be it."

Toph gave him one quick nod.

"Poppy, let's go."

Toph's mother watched her sadly, stalling a moment in hopes that her daughter might speak. Her mouth opened, lingering this way as diplomatic words refused to part with her submissive tongue. Poppy was gagged and bound by her breeding and class, so she waited and hoped that he rebellious daughter would give her another terse comment to contest with love and understanding without incurring the disapproval of her husband.

Toph's mouth remained closed and Poppy's husband addressed her again.

"Poppy?"

Tearing her mournful eyes away from Toph she followed him to the front door obediently where they both waited.

"Liang, the door please," Lao instructed stoically as their servant opened the door with a bow.

Toph collapsed back into her chair when she heard the door close, her will to stand drained. Lin climbed into her lap, nuzzling her mother's neck. Toph rubbed her back reassuringly and kissed her forehead.

"Its ok, Lin," she told her, sounding quite a bit calmer than she looked, "you aren't going anywhere."

There was another knock at the door and Toph's body stiffened at the sound. Lin watched as she remained sedentary. The knock came again with greater urgency. Looking toward the door Lin asked, "Should we answer it?"

"No."

"But what if its something important?"

Toph sighed, "Its not."

The knock came again, rapid and frantic. Lin let out a small groan at the sound, her anxiety level rising with each knock.

"Oh relax," Toph commented with a light laugh as her tears began to dry, "you are pretty uppity for an almost five year old."

The banging continued and Lin couldn't stand it anymore so she lept from her mother's lap and sprinted toward the door, "Lin..." Toph protested weakly as her daughters footsteps darted down the hall.

Lin swung the door open, finding her grandmother on the other side. Poppy's eyes were trained several feet over her head, staring there for a beat before realizing who opened the door. She looked down at Lin and there was something in her eyes, on her face that would stay with Lin forever. When she was older, she learned to associate that look with the word regret. Every time she heard that word for the rest of her life, this image of her grandmother's face would flash across her mind.

"Take care of your mother for me?" She asked and her face was so sad, so resigned that Lin could do nothing but nod out of pity. Poppy placed a red velvet pouch in Lin's hands and the weight of it caused her arms to sag.

She leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on Lin's temple before departing with a small bow. Lin watched her leave, stepping into the gilded coach again with assistance from Liang. As the ostrich horse began to trot, Poppy gave her a small wave that Lin returned absentmindedly. Lao never turned his head.

Once out of view, Lin snapped out of her haze and shut the door, running back down the hall with the pouch. With considerable effort she swung the pouch onto the table before her mother and its contents chimed.

Toph scoffed at the sound it made. Lin pushed her chair beside her mothers and climbed onto it, kneeling along the seat to reach over for the pouch.

"Can I open it?" she asked.

"Go ahead," Toph sighed. Lin tugged on the gold cords that cinched the fine velvet, unravelling it to reveal a multitude of shining gold coins, unlike the dull bronze yuans Lin was accustomed to seeing.

"Wow," Lin exclaimed.

Toph sighed again either unimpressed or unaware, "Ok, Ok, looky-loo. Let's clean this place up."

"Can we get an ostrich horse?" Lin asked immediately. Toph reached out, snatching the coins from under Lin's nose.

"No."

"Why not?" Lin whined as her mother stood.

"Because they eat little girls that don't listen to their mothers," Toph replied, stretching.

"You made it this far," Lin argued. There was a pause and Lin worried her comment might have been too close to home, but was relieved when Toph finally broke into a smile.

"Ha! You're pretty good, kid," Lin smiled. "But, not good enough to get out of cleaning. Hop to it. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can get in some bending practice."

Lin withered and slid off the chair, gathering two stone bowls into her arms. She marched to the kitchen behind her mother, whose own hands were full of dishes. Toph seemed to have stowed the velvet pouch in a deep pocket along with the events of their meal, unwilling to acknowledge either.

"Mom," Lin began as she watched her mother deposit some dishes into the sink.

"Yeah baby?"

"I don't think you're a failure..."

Toph stopped what she was doing and smiled, her expression was happy and sad all at once.

"...I think you're the best Mom in the world."

Toph leaned down and kissed Lin's nose, "Thank you."

Lin grinned, satisfied that she had cheered her mother. She placed the bowls along the counter and waited.

Toph went back to the dishes, spraying them with warm water, "You're still not getting an ostrich horse."

"Hmph."


	6. The Changing Wind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The sound of a kiss is not so loud as a cannon, but it's echo lasts a great deal longer."-Unknown

"-And that's it folks! The Gilacorns are out of the tournament!" the announcer exclaimed from the crackling radio.

"You dumb bastards," Toph grumbled as she reclined on the couch with Lin huddled against her.

She was still dressed in her formal robes, at Lin's request, but her skirt was hitched just above the knee, bare feet resting on the table before her as mother and daughter listened to a pro-bending match on their wireless. Lin had insisted they stay dressed up and have a tea party after the abrupt exit of her grandparents made their efforts feel wasted. It was a sweet idea so Toph indulged her, pouring tea for Lin and her stuffed badgermole- and then finally a little something stronger for herself. It had been a long day after all, and to top it off the Gaoling Gilacorns had lost another match, meaning she would owe Ho Tun ten silver pieces come Monday. Absently, she fingered the velvet pouch in her pocket, unrelieved by its presence.

Toph moved to take another sip of her sake and registered the dead weight of Lin's sleeping form encumbering her movements. With a sigh, she shifted the bottle to her left hand carefully and took a long drink, leaning forward after to place a kiss on the crown of Lin's head. She sat in silence a moment, gathering the will to move when she heard the front door creak. One foot immediately dropped from the table and onto the stone flooring in an attempt to identify the intruder.

"Knock, knock!" He said softly from the door way. Toph let out a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice and the familiar thrumming of his heartbeat.

"We're in here, Sokka," she called out as quietly as possible, careful not to wake Lin. Sokka rounded the corner and smiled at the sight of them. His two favorite girls- made up in blush and expensive clothes, but still unchanged. No amount of preening could alter the slope of Toph's smile or the carefree way she linked her ankles on a table top, resting with Lin who remained unconscious and open-mouthed, a slight puddle of drool gathering at the corner of her lips.

"Long day?" He joked, taking in their appearance.

"You don't even know," Toph replied, shifting slightly.

"How did it go with your parents?"

Toph shrugged, indicating indifference. Sokka glanced from her poker face to the nearly empty bottle in her hand and discerned for himself the things she was unwilling to say.

He walked over, leaning down to gather Lin into his arms, "I'll put her to bed and then you can tell me all about it." Toph nodded, releasing her grip on Lin.

As he lifted her, she woke, wiping her eyes in a daze.

"Sokka?"

"Hey Bones, I'm tucking you in," he explained quietly as he began walking toward the bedrooms.

"G'night Mama," Lin mumbled groggily over Sokka's shoulder.

"Night-night baby girl," Toph replied, polishing off the final sip of her sake.

A further fifteen minutes passed as Toph waited in the living room for Sokka to return. She turned the radio dial to a music station and a slow, melancholy tune poured out- speaking volumes to its listener. Sokka came around the corner again, seating himself beside Toph with a heavy thud. Wordlessly, she let her head fall onto his shoulder.

"She wanted a bedtime story," he said after a moment, explaining his brief absence. Toph smiled.

"What story did you tell her?"

"I told her about the time I hit Combustion Man in the head with my boomerang and clogged his fire hole," He replied with a hint of laughter.

"Oh boy. I bet that put her right out," Toph snorted.

"Hey! It was epic!"

"Yeah, if you're into stuffing fire holes."

"How do you always make an innocent statement sound so gross?

Toph shrugged, "Its a gift."

"So...you want to talk about it?" Sokka asked finally, his tone changing from playful to concerned.

There was a soft sigh from the woman at his shoulder, "I suppose...it wasn't a big surprise. I was right- they wanted to take Lin to Gaoling."

"That's ridiculous," he told her, patting her bare knee lightly, "the best place for Lin is here with you."

Toph had a self-deprecating response lined up in her head, but lost her train of thought when she realized that Sokka had left his hand in place at her knee. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks, warming them with her thoughts- both terrifying and thrilling. However, it was not in her nature to become flustered or lovesick, so she collected her nerve and continued without acknowledging his gesture.

"I like to think they are wrong..." she began, "but sometimes I wonder if I am doing the right thing for her or if I'm just being selfish."

Sokka made an exaggerated groan of disagreement, lifting his hands in a moment of frustration. Toph's knee bounced at the break in contact, straightening quickly when she caught herself.

"Toph, listen to me," he said, picking up her hand and threading his fingers through hers, "you are a fantastic mother. I mean yeah, you work long hours and sure- you are pretty hard on her about bending practice-"

"Are you going to get to the part where you're reassuring me? Or...?"

"Yes! What I'm saying is that you work to give her a good life, you push her so she will do well. Everything you do is for Lin. A mother is somebody who is selfless in their love. That's you, Toph."

Toph gave him a reluctant grin, "You don't think I work for the fame and glory and I push her so she will make me look good?"

There was a pause, "Uh, well maybe that too," Sokka admitted with a laugh that Toph returned.

Sokka smiled, watching her face. Her eyes were blank, but her expression was tender. There was a vulnerability there, coupled with an impish compulsion to stir the pot and make fun. He gazed at her comprehending all that she was; natural, caring, funny, and beautiful. His thumb brushed the back of her hand lightly, moving back and forth with affection.

For her part, his movements didn't go unnoticed. The moment she felt the pad of his thumb graze her hand her heart leapt into her throat. This was not like their usual best-friend pep talks. Those were all silly jokes and light punches. This was soft, subtle movements and unspoken words. Toph didn't dare acknowledge it, fearing his retreat. He gathered a breath and continued to speak, his thumb never pausing.

"I just wish you could see-"

"I can't see," she interjected.

"Shut up- I just wish you could see how great you are. You are funny and smart and giving. You are a great Mom, the greatest earthbender in the world-"

"Hmm, yes. Go on," Toph laughed.

"- and you deserve more than sitting around at night with a bottle of sake second guessing yourself."

Toph laughed lightly, pressing the empty bottle to her cheek with her free hand, "You'll never understand our love, Sokka!" she joked dramatically of the bottle. She made a quick kissing motion at it and without warning, found herself being kissed in return.

Toph's stomach sank in the most pleasant way. It didn't take much coaxing for her to return his kiss, in fact it was Toph who pushed her tongue through the barrier of his lips first. Head swimming, she dropped the bottle on the couch beside her and moved her hand up to his face, running it along his jawline until it curled around the back of his head. Her fingers rubbed gently against the soft stubble of his hair and she couldn't help but smile against his mouth at the sensation.

Feeling her lips curl, Sokka detached from her with a tentative look. He wasn't quite sure if that was a genuine smile, a laugh at his stupidity, or the result of a night of drinking. Toph gasped a little as they parted, tugging him back toward her mouth with urgency. He let out a laugh against her this time, kissing her quickly twice before pulling back again.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he confessed in a whisper, resting his forehead against her own. He moved in again, but was halted by her hand on his chest.

"What?"

"I said I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he repeated.

"Yeah, I heard that. I guess what I'm wondering is what the hell took you so long to do it?"

Sokka blinked a few times, wondering if she actually wanted a serious answer. He wouldn't put it past her.

He had his reasons for waiting. For the longest time it was ignorance- blissful and uncomplicated. He viewed Toph as one of the guys; a great buddy who knew all the best dirty jokes, had a character as rough as the palms of her hands, and left nothing to the imagination. It was this version of her that he knew in their war days, this version he felt safe around.

The first time he caught a glimpse of the other version of her was at Katara and Aang's wedding. She was dressed in a fine silk dress, a deep green that suddenly made her emerald eyes obvious to him. They had always been obscured by her bangs and were generally clouded, but something about the setting sun and that dress reflected a brilliance in them he had never noticed before. It was a very feminine look and she wore it well- it never appeared awkward or unwelcome on her small frame. Many of the guests remarked on this metamorphosis, unbeknownst to the subject of their admiration. Toph remained disinterested in the power of a little blush and a fitted outfit and by the time the ceremony ended and the dance floor opened- she had donned a pair of silk pants and emancipated her hair from its braided prison, falling into her face once again. Still, it was a moment that stuck with him.

He was faced with the undeniable proof of Toph's femininity once again a few years later when she told him of her pregnancy. It was a reminder of her womanhood, but not a sudden turn in his attraction. That came months later. As he watched Toph handle this new life, a gentleness and grace emerged. He wasn't sure if it had existed before or not, but now he saw her plainly. A complex mix of firmness and fragility, the hearty girl he knew before, but somehow more open and delicate- and he was drawn to her.

Their friendship had grown ever closer due mostly to their respective professions. As Councilman and Chief of Police they worked with one another on a weekly basis and in a more relaxed setting- more relaxed than wartime anyway. Republic City at peacetime was the backdrop of their times together, mostly spent with Lin and once a week, spent at Wulong's Dive Bar.

It was there, on what they had dubbed a "thirsty thursday" several months ago, that Sokka became fully aware of his attraction. By now, he had come to recognize her as pretty- beautiful even, but on this particular evening she had suddenly become downright sexy. The bartender made a fruity drink by mistake and offered it to them. Being a consummate gentleman, Sokka insisted that Toph have at it. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the setting, but when she lifted the cherry from her glass and plucked it from its stem with full lips, he was transfixed. This simple gesture drew attention to her mouth and suddenly Sokka could not get it out of his head. He told himself at the time that it was a passing thought, but the tugging in his pants refused to subside. That is when the guilt came into play.

The prevailing reason he had for taking so long to make a move was guilt. He was with Suki at the time, albeit separated by distance. Toph was with Mo, even if it was an unhappy arrangement. For these reasons, he put his feelings and attractions to the side in the thought that if they were never dwelled upon, they would cease to be. It came as a relief to read Suki's break-up letter, in which she alluded to her own distractions in the fire nation. He couldn't hold it against her, it wasn't intentional- it just was. Any lingering regrets about his relationship with Suki seemed to vanish when Toph told him of Mo's departure. It was sad news, he never wanted their family to crumble, but he couldn't help the bolt of electricity that surged through his body at the thought of Toph being single.

From then on it was simply nerves and timing that held him back. This was new for him and Sokka was afraid of disrupting the delicate ecosystem of their friendship. But, when Sokka rounded the corner of her living room tonight and saw her in that same dress from Aang and Katara's wedding he wasn't sure he could hold off any longer.

His fingers squeezed her own and then he released her hand, placing his hand back on her knee.

"What took me so long? What took you so long?" he deflected. Toph snorted at his question.

"Buddy, if it were up to me we'd have been doing this since before I could metalbend," she snarked in honesty.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. How thick are you? I mean obviously there were reasons...- wait a second," she paused, looking serious, "I just realized something."

"What?"

"We're talking instead of kissing. Let's do more of that kissing thing," she replied, craning her neck up to meet him again. His hand at her knee began to travel up the length of her thigh, the silk fabric hitching and bunching on his knuckles. The surprising softness of her skin here juxtaposed her forceful motions causing his hips to jerk involuntarily.

She responded by throwing one leg over his lap and pushing against him, her kisses becoming deeper and more insistent. The change in her position drove his hand up further, eliciting a gasp from her enterprising mouth.

"Maybe we should take this into the other room," she suggested, in a breathy voice Sokka would have never associated with her before.

"Are you sure?" He questioned out of respect, it was in her nature to be caught up in tempestuous moments like these and he wanted to give her the opportunity to back out.

There was a pause in which he achingly hoped she would continue, "Yes, I'm sure if you are," she told him finally. He kissed her again in response and she stood quickly, tugging on his hands.

Toph locked the door to her bedroom, for once grateful that Lin could not metalbend. They tumbled on to the large bed together, a tangle of limbs. Sokka was surprised by how quickly Toph found her way around his body and had no complaints about the need for her to feel her way. When he commented on it, she responded by reaching into a bedside drawer and retrieving a blindfold, "Now we're even," she remarked, tossing the fabric at him. Theirs was a slow burn, the embers stoked by friendship and respect, but when the spark ignited, the fire between them could only be extinguished by each other.

Sokka woke the following morning in Toph's overstuffed bed, the light outside his eyelids indicating that it was somewhere around dawn. He decided there was no hurry in getting out of bed, so he let out a contented yawn and circled his arm around the form beside him, drawing it closer.

It was soft, much softer than any person should be...Sokka cracked one eye open to find he was clutching a pile of blankets and pillows. Waking fully, he looked around the room and found himself alone. He heard a crashing from outside and went to the window, looking through to see Toph and Lin sparring in the vast expanse of their yard. Lin wore a blindfold around her eyes, and Sokka took note that it was not the one from last night, thankfully. She slid one foot across the ground, fingers twitching and curling before two enormous towers of rock shot up on each side. She slammed each with the palms of her hands quickly, sending chunks of rock hurling at her mother. Toph demolished them on contact with a proud smile on her face.

He watched them practice for awhile, reconciling the proud mother he saw with the woman from last night and then with his good buddy, Toph. They were three opposite personalities, but somehow it made sense to him that they were all part of one woman. It felt right.

Shaking from his contented reflection, he made his way to the kitchen, preparing to make a breakfast worthy of his warrior girls. When they entered, covered in dirt, Lin was delighted to find Sokka preparing his go-to breakfast item, rolled omelets.

"What are you doing here, Sokka?" she asked. He and Toph froze, unsure how to answer her innocent question.

"Just thought I would make you girls some breakfast," he replied ambiguously. She seemed satisfied with this response and climbed into a seat at the table. Toph moved beside him, reaching around his waist to grab a freshly chopped slice of green pepper and popped it into her mouth with a smile.

"Would you like Sokka to make us breakfast more often, Lin?" she asked her daughter, from where she stood at his side.

"Yeah!"

"I think we can arrange that," Toph replied, her tone suggestive enough for him to pick up on. He smiled as he broke one egg into the frying pan. It could be arranged, certainly.

This was definitely something he could get used to.


	7. Escape

Ember Island would be just what this earthbender ordered. It wasn't usually Toph's cup of tea to spend a week with blurred vision and nothing but the terrifying ocean to distract her, but this year was different. First and foremost- Republic City was sweltering. It wasn't just the incredible heat that caused her armor to feel like a convection oven that was cooking her alive, but the humidity that seemed to slow her movements with its thickness. Aang even complained that it was more difficult to airbend lately. Ember Island may be tropical and hot, but there was a breeze at least and it was low humidity which would also alleviate some the pain of getting a comb through Lin's hair in the morning. The wet air caused her hair to take on a life of its own and Toph spent at least twenty minutes a day forcibly holding Lin's arms at her sides as she brushed her hair to screaming protests and kicking legs.

The other reason Toph was looking forward to her upcoming stay in the Fire Nation was Sokka. It had been just over a week since "it" had happened and not too much was different. Sokka confessed over lunch how relieved he was that their relationship had continued on as comfortably as before, with a few added bonuses of course. They hadn't told the rest of the group about their new arrangement yet mostly out of a lack of opportunity.

In the week following, Toph had convinced a shop keeper in the Dragon Flats borough to go on record about his alleged bloodbending experience. He openly identified the well-known crime boss, Yakone, as his attacker in exchange for protection by the Avatar himself. It was a start for the case she was building against Yakone and enough to take him off the streets for one day, but a single testimony wasn't enough to keep him behind bars indefinitely. She would need more people to come forward, but if what they said about him was true it would be quite a risk to do so.

Within hours of the shop keeper's testimony the press were at her door asking for specifics and whipping the population into a panicked frenzy with their speculative headlines. In light of this, the Council had been in what seemed to be an endless string of meetings regarding the safety of the victim, the morality of press embargoes, and passing general measures to calm the citizens. In short, they were both terribly busy. Too busy to discuss the change in their relationship themselves, let alone explain it to Aang and Katara.

On top of it all, Lin's fifth birthday landed in this same week. It was far too hectic to get any sort of a party together so the Gaang decided a proper celebration would be held during their annual vacation instead. In lieu of a party, Toph and Sokka put together a small cake with five candles for her to wish on. Lin was more than pleased with this, blowing her candles out with conviction. She was gifted her very first pair of sunglasses for the upcoming trip by Sokka and Toph gave her a slingshot, which she regretted almost immediately. It was a busy day, but a successful one. Toph tucked her daughter in that night and Lin was sure to reminded her that she was now five whole fingers old, counting off her digits happily.

"Happy Birthday, baby girl," Toph laughed as she kissed her forehead.

"Mom? Want to know what I wished for?"

Toph gave her a soft chuckle, "I have a feeling you're going to tell me either way."

"I wished for Dad to come home," she said quietly, "maybe he can go with us to the beach?"

Toph felt an aching in her chest at Lin's words, "I don't know if he will make it to the beach, kiddo."

"He must be really busy," Lin replied with a yawn, "since he had to miss my party. I guess he'll just have to give me my present later." She said her words with such naive confidence that Toph had to blink back tears at her assuredness.

"We'll see," Toph whispered, giving her another quick peck before leaving to join Sokka in her own room.

Toph felt a twinge of guilt leaving her post at such a busy time, but as she packed one last linen tunic into Lin's knapsack she figured it was a well-deserved vacation.

"You ready to go get pampered, kid?" Toph asked as she fastened the button of Lin's bag and slung it over one shoulder.

Lin who was proudly sporting her new sunglasses was busy making various expressions at herself in the mirror, "Whats that kid's name again? The kid we are staying with?"

"You mean Firelord Zuko?" Toph asked with a laugh.

"No, Mom. The kid," Lin stressed as she stuck her chin out and pulled her bottom lip up further than it ought to go.

"Princess Ursa?"

"That's the one," Lin confirmed, yanking her lip down again and bugging her eyes behind her glasses. "She's bossy."

"That's rich, coming from you," Toph replied.

Lin huffed and snapped the glasses off her face dramatically to look at her unobservant Mother, "She is. Just because she is a Princess doesn't mean she can tell me what to do!"

She placed the glasses back on her face with an exaggerated haughtiness and Toph let out a laugh, "You are so my kid."

Lin nodded emphatically and began miming earthbending forms and shouting "Hands up! I'm the greatest earthbender in the world!" Her movements were spastic and her tone of voice bordering on a screech as she danced about the room pretending to be her legendary mother. Toph placed one hand on her head in a vain attempt to still her movements, "Whoa, ok there. Time to tone it down spaz," she told Lin who responded in a caricature of her mother's voice, "Ok, Mama!"

The gentle warning did nothing to calm her hyper daughter who continued to spin in circles making non-sensical sounds as if she couldn't possibly get all the energy out of her body fast enough.

Toph groaned, she knew it was a mistake to skip morning bending practice to pack. "Do I really have to spend an entire day on the back of sky bison with you?"

Lin laughed maniacally and moved in to tickle her mother's sides. Toph recoiled with an amused scream, "Ok! That's it. We're all eating Lin soup for dinner tonight!" she announced moving in to scoop Lin up, flipping her upside down and holding her by the ankles, "Any last words?"

"I'll stop!" Lin laughed, face reddening by the second. By now, Toph was laughing hard enough that she might lose her grip, so she lowered Lin to the floor, leaning down to kiss her nose. "I love you, you little lunatic."

"I love you too, Mama!" Lin cheered just as Toph gave her one last tickle.

"Ok- lets get going," Toph said finally pulling Lin to her feet, "its officially vacation time!"

Upon arriving at Air Temple Island, Toph was confronted with a fretful Avatar who circled his sky bison emitting all kinds of anxious groans. Katara was already on Appa's back, lifting their bags out of Sokka's outstretched arms and tying them into the saddle. The children were running amok, adding to Aang's anxiety, no doubt.

Lin left Toph's side to join the other kids in creating chaos as Toph raised her bag for Katara to load.

"You aren't bringing your armor or anything, right?" Aang questioned nervously, rubbing his neck.

"Why would I bring my armor?" Toph returned, picking up on his unwarranted distress.

"I just want to make sure there is not too much weight on Appa's back," Aang explained with a sigh. He quickly broke away from her, coming around to Appa's face and petting his nose.

"Sweetie," he called out to Katara, "Do you absolutely need everything in those bags?"

Katara sucked in a breath, "Aang, if you ask me that one more time...I am going to scream."

"Okay, Okay," he relented with a defeated sigh, "Its just that there are a lot of us now and-"

Sokka came around Appa, sauntering up just behind Toph and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Ready for a week in paradise?"

Toph's lips curled into a smile at the sensation of his breath on her neck, "With these two?" She asked skeptically, bowing her head in the direction of Aang and Katara whose conversation had devolved into bickering.

Sokka laughed, "I'm sure we can find some time alone..." he insinuated just as Aang let out a grumble of finality.

"Let's go!" Aang ordered, obviously put out by his domestic dispute. The kids came scrambling over and Bumi made a production of climbing onto Appa from the front instead of the approved way of boarding and was lifted by a forceful gust of wind and planted in the saddle with a thud and a disapproving look from his father.

Toph and Sokka followed the rest of the children up Appa's tail and Toph took a seat next to Katara. She could feel the irritation coming off of her in waves.

"I feel relaxed already!" Toph announced sarcastically as Appa kicked off the ground with a grunt.

"Hey, I'm having a great time," Sokka retorted, leaning back and clasping his hands behind his head.

Katara rolled her eyes as the ocean stretched out before them.

The only stop they made was at Shu Jing where the group had a late lunch with Master Piandao. The elderly swordsman was elated to catch up with Sokka and gave the children a short lesson in fencing, leaving them all atwitter and Bumi in particular dazzled.

Sword fighting was the only thing the kids wanted to talk or think about for the remainder of their trip. It was well after dark when they finally arrived on Ember Island, landing just before the vast estate of the Fire Lord.

The flickering light from burning lanterns lit the faces of the attendants that hurried over to assist the guests in disembarking. The men scrambled to unpack their bags and water Appa while Zuko's equerry came to Aang's aide.

"Avatar Aang, it is an honor," he said with a bow, "Please follow me."

He lead the group up the small set of stairs and into the front hall. A small man in full Fire Nation regalia standing along the wall cleared his throat and stepped forward to announce his sovereign.

"May I present to you, Fire Lord Zuko!" He bellowed just as the double doors opened to reveal Zuko, alone.

The liveried man bowed and Zuko put up one hand, "Thank you, Li. No need for the formality with this group," he said, raising one eyebrow at the weary travelers.

"I'm sorry if we woke you," Aang began with a smile and a bow.

Toph lifted one finger, "For the record, I'm not sorry."

Zuko grinned at them all and bent down to greet the youngest of their group, he reached out picking up Kya's dainty hand and planting a kiss on her knuckles, "Welcome to the Fire Nation, young lady!"

Kya blushed and he moved down the line, giving Bumi a serious salute, then shaking Tenzin's hand in a way that made him feel like an important adult. Next he made his way to Lin who kept her hands clasped behind her back.

"I don't want you to kiss my hand," she stated plainly and Zuko laughed, glancing up at Toph.

"No question which one you belong to," he joked, standing up straight finally and patting Lin on the head instead. He made his way through the group of adults, bowing and hugging, and finally clapping Sokka on the shoulder and giving him a knowing wink. Sokka returned it, a little suspiciously.

"I'm sure you are all tired," Zuko began, " I've had your rooms made up and you'll find some food in there if you're hungry. Otherwise, I will see you all for breakfast in the morning."

At that point the attendants appeared again and offered to show each guest to their rooms, Toph and Sokka lingered in the back as they were lead down the hallway.

"See you after Lin's asleep?" Toph whispered.

"A mind-reader and an earthbender! What are the odds?" Sokka replied with a smile.

The room for Toph and Lin was enormous and a bit difficult to acclimate to, its size translating to a lack of structure for Toph. She found the large four-post bed easily enough and the washing basin thereafter. She was originally alarmed to find that their bags had been unpacked for them and each article of clothing placed into the drawers. It didn't take long to settle in and for Lin to drift off to sleep in the comfort of the overstuffed velveteen bed. When she was sure Lin was out for the night, she found her way back out to the hall and tiptoed in the direction of Sokka's room.

It was a race for Sokka to get everything in the room just as he liked it. Judging by the way Lin's head had begun to dip as they approached the island he figured it wouldn't be very long before Toph was knocking on his door. He pulled the blankets back, opened the window to hear the crashing of the waves, and killed the lights.

And then he sat.

For at least five minutes.

Just as he was getting ready to seek her out himself, the door cracked open letting a tiny ray of light through along with a feminine silhouette. She closed the door and the room went black again and Sokka could hear her feeling her way around in the darkness. He walked over to where he estimated she stood and reached out one hand encountering the curve of her hip. He silently pat himself on the back for this accuracy.

Sokka pulled her in and kissed her without a word. His action seemed to startle her at first and it took a moment for her arms to settle along his shoulders and return it fully. Her kiss was softer than usual and something about it felt naggingly familiar. Sokka's stomach sank and he pulled back, scrambling for the light switch. Finding it, he gave it a flick and the room was bathed in a soft glow to reveal exactly who he suspected he might be kissing.

"...Suki?"


	8. A Deliberate Leap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "There are some things one can only achieve by a deliberate leap in the opposite direction." -Franz Kafka

"Well, hello to you too, Sokka," Suki greeted him with a light laugh. Her cheeks flushed a faint pink, coloring her timid face.

Sokka blinked wildly at the last person he expected to see. She looked lovely as always. Time favored Suki, its paintbrush of age never could seem to leave its mark in the corners of her eyes or along her porcelain skin.

"W-What?"

"I said hello," Suki repeated, her laugh easy and natural. It was always a private pleasure of hers to fluster him this way.

"I heard that," Sokka confirmed, rubbing his forehead nervously, "I just didn't expect you to be here."

"I wasn't originally planning on it, but I got to thinking about-"

"Oh, man. You gotta get out of here," Sokka cut across her in a panicked voice.

"Excuse me?" Her nose crinkled at his comment. It was quite a departure from moments ago when he seemed eager to do nothing but kiss her again. She opened her mouth to continue asking him where this sudden change of heart had come from when the door creaked. Suki spun around to find Toph standing in the doorway, frozen.

"Toph!" She greeted brightly.

"Suki?" Toph asked, "Wow. I didn't expect to find you in here."

"Neither did I," Sokka supplied urgently.

"Uh...I'll let you guys get back to whatever it is you were doing," Toph began awkwardly as she went to pull the door closed. Sokka grit his teeth and made a pained expression, gripping at the air as if it would pull her back into the room. His gesture went unseen by both ladies.

"Did you need something?" Suki asked before Toph was able to shut herself away from the couple.

"No...I just...I was making sure Sokka could find his room. He was lost earlier. You know how he is," Toph mumbled.

"All too well," Suki laughed knowingly.

Toph let out a laugh in return that was perhaps a little too hearty, "Ha ha, yeah. Good ol' Sokka. That fucker," she pointed her finger in his direction and shook it playfully, "You really are one stupid fuck, Sokka. Ha ha."

Suki's mouth flattened out at Toph's overdone laughter and strong statement, before she turned to Sokka and raised her eyebrows. She jumped slightly as the door closed behind her forcefully. They listened to Toph's exaggerated laughter as it echoed all the way down the hall.

Suki's eyes drifted between the doorway and Sokka's defeated expression, "What was that about?"

Sokka sighed and shook his head, taking a few steps back and sitting on the edge of his oversized bed. He pat the space next to him, "Come here."

Suki watched him cautiously. His shoulders sagged and he had that look on his face that was usually followed by bad news. It was the same look he gave her when he told her of his decision to stay in Republic City years ago. She sat beside him, stealing a tentative glance at his furrowed brow.

"What made you decide to come here?" he asked in a low voice.

"You sound disappointed," Suki projected, swallowing her confidence.

"Its not that, no," Sokka insisted with a small wave of his hand, "I just thought you...I thought there was someone else."

Suki suddenly felt as if the walls were closing in and her cheeks colored again. She did write him a letter to that effect, but talking to him about it face to face was another story. A story that made her rather uncomfortable.

"There was," she admitted regretfully, "but honestly it was something I had to do for myself, Sokka. We'd been together so long and I never wanted to hurt you or jeopardize what we had, but I needed to see what else was out there."

Sokka nodded, eyes trained on the floor.

"And I realized what was out there, wasn't all that great," she concluded. They sat in silence for almost a minute when she noticed a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"What?"

"You slept with him and it was bad, huh?" he ventured, looking up at her as his smile spread.

She couldn't help but smile back and cover her face in embarrassment, "Yes," she admitted with a small laugh. They both chuckled a bit and she slapped his arm playfully, "Don't laugh."

"Just glad to know I'm still number one," he joked shrugging his shoulders. The silenced stretched between them again.

Suki looked at him seriously, "Have you? I mean- have you been with anyone else?"

Sokka looked at her with an apology in his eyes. He clearly had been and his experience wasn't nearly as regrettable as hers.

"I realized something when I read your letter," he began to explain, "I realized that I'd been feeling the same way. I was sad, but I wasn't angry about it- which kind of told me that maybe we weren't working out. If Sokka from five years ago had gotten that letter he would have been on the first boat to the Fire Nation..."

"But this Sokka," she said, laying one hand on his arm, "didn't care."

"No," he told her with certainty, "I cared. I'll always care. You were a big part of my life, Suki. A wonderful part. But, I just think that maybe that part ran its course."

She turned her head from him expecting tears, but none materialized. She blinked a few times just to be sure it wasn't a delayed reaction before she turned back to him. She thought this would hurt more. That is when she realized he was right- she had been trying to fix something that wasn't broken. Something that was no longer there at all.

"She's a lucky girl. Whoever she is," Suki told him with sigh. Sokka looked at the ceiling quickly and blushed.

Her eyes widened, "Who?" She looked down to see he was literally twiddling his thumbs as he avoided the question, "someone I know, obvious- oh my spirits!" Her mouth hung open as she pieced together Toph's presence at his door and her strange behavior. She hit his leg in surprise.

"Ow!"

"I can't believe it. Actually, I can believe it...," she muttered to herself, "you two weren't... while we were..." she asked crisscrossing her hands.

"No!" he insisted hotly.

"Is it serious?" she asked finally. Sokka looked up again in thought, his expression suddenly pensive.

"I think so," he told her, "I don't know...probably not anymore," he sighed looking at her pointedly. Suki shifted slightly, leaning away to look him over. She knew Sokka like the back of her hand and there was no part of his summation that come across as disingenuous. She felt a pang of jealousy, a hint of despair for what might have been. Those feelings didn't linger however, they washed away when she saw the seriousness and worry in his eyes. She sighed, making peace with the fact that he may always love her, but he was falling in love too. She leaned in and brushed her lips chastely against his cheek.

"I think I'll go ahead and ask Zuko for that other room now," she told him, standing. She walked the short space to the door and paused there, turning to address him, "I want you to be happy Sokka..."

"I want you to be happy too," he replied with a sad smile.

"I will be," she nodded without doubt. She turned to leave when Sokka's curious voice stopped her progress.

"Hey," he began, and she could just picture him rubbing his chin. Turning back, she saw he was doing just that. "Was this Zuko's idea?"

"Yeah, he talked me into coming," she confirmed bashfully. Sokka looked relieved.

"That makes the wink he gave me earlier way less creepy," he laughed. She laughed too.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Suki."

As she made her way down the hall, she heard his door click open in her wake. She didn't bother to turn around, knowing that it would only be to watch him walk to Toph's room.

The handle on her door jostled slightly. Toph lay in the darkness next to her snoring five year old and listened to the metal jangle and click fruitlessly. The door wasn't locked, but her will on it was. She could imagine that it was probably Sokka coming to "explain" or some nosy house servant here to roll her over or something equally absurd. Either way, she wasn't answering.

"Toph?" came Sokka's whispered voice from the other side. He couldn't see her, but she crossed her arms in a huff anyway.

"Toph?"

Lin's body squirmed slightly and she mumbled a few nonsense words before rolling over and burying her face in Toph's armpit. Great. If Sokka woke her up he would be twice as dead in the morning. There was a light tapping against the wood of the door and Lin let out a small whimper. Toph reached down to smooth her hair, which was soaked with sweat. Lovely. She whined a bit more and began pushing back at Toph's hand which encircled her carefully to comfort her from what was presumably a nightmare. The quiet knock came again and Toph was at her wits end with his disruption so she let one leg drop off the side of the bed and kicked at the ground. In less than a second she heard the sound of Sokka's strangled surprise at being confronted with a large pillar of rock to the face.

Leaving her foot on the floor she sensed his retreating footsteps. It was a disappointment and a relief. A voice in the back of her mind told her that he must not care if he's going to give up that easily. Who was she kidding anyway? Of course he wasn't going to stick around forever. Sokka was charming and from what she understood, handsome. He certainly felt nice. She blew a few strands of hair from her face. Toph was brash, and crude, and had no idea where she landed on the scale of attractiveness otherwise, because she was blind- another bonus point. Oh, and tack on an extra ten points for the unwed mother factor. Yeah, she thought, what a prize.

Lin twisted a little in her grasp and she leaned in slightly to kiss her damp forehead. This was all she really needed right here. She'd given Lin the same pep talk not too long ago. They had each other and that was enough. Same, same. Beifongs against the world.

She admonished herself from ruminating on something as pointless as a boy. Toph Beifong doesn't pout and she certainly doesn't pine. With a determined breath Toph let her eyes flutter closed and tried to sleep. It came after a long while and with no dreams to speak of.

The following morning Toph woke to the melodic plucking of harp strings outside her window.

"What's that sound?" Lin asked from what Toph estimated to be one millimeter from her face.

"It sounds like a harp, death breath," Toph replied with a yawn as she felt the bed shift and Lin bound out and run to the window.

"It is a harp!" she announced from the balcony. From where Lin stood she could see a woman strumming a large harp languidly below. She looked to one side and saw Katara and Aang on their private balcony, watching the harpist as well, their children pushing eager faces against the slotting of the stone walls in hopes of a better view. Toph slowly pad her way to the balcony, standing beside her daughter.

"I guess this means its breakfast time?" Aang questioned across the space between them in an amused voice.

"This is proof that some people have too much money," Toph replied by way of confirmation.

"You mean to tell me you never had a harpist as an alarm growing up?" Katara asked, skeptically.

Toph snorted, "Of course not...we had a guy that played the qin."

Katara raised one eyebrow at Aang, satisfied that her point had been duly proved. He then whipped his head in the opposite direction, "Guess it wasn't enough to wake Sokka," he noted as he observed Sokka's empty balcony.

All the muscles in Toph's back seized. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that it was going to be like this all week and she had better get used to it. Suki was here, Suki was in his room, Suki was the reason he was still in bed. Her stomach lurched.

"Alright guys, let's head down to breakfast," Aang said, mercifully interrupting her train of thought.

Breakfast got off to an awkward start. There was always a bit of formality surrounding the Firelord, even on holiday. Zuko made the effort to call it off when possible, but when the machinery of the royal household got to turning it was somewhat unstoppable. Aang joked that he bowed so often it was going to leave him with an eight-pack before the week was out. For the Beifong's part they were prepared to use proper table manners. Lin had even taken to pinching Tenzin's leg under the table when he picked up the wrong utensil or tried eating before Zuko. It wasn't the pomp that made their meal uncomfortable, however.

By happenstance Sokka and Suki entered the dining room at the same time. There was collective gasp of excitement when the rest of the party saw her. Katara jumped out of her seat to hug Suki before realizing she was breaking protocol. She blushed a bit, but did not seem to regret her action until she noticed the only adult in the room not looking enthused. Katara took her seat again, watching her blind friend carefully. The table filled with chatter directed primarily at Suki.

Zuko smiled a bit before addressing Sokka on the side, "I hope you don't mind the little surprise we set up for you?"

"He set up for you," his wife, Mai insisted from beside him.

Sokka looked nervously around the table and opened his mouth to reply when he heard Suki's voice first.

"Actually," she said loudly, drawing attention, "I want to tell you guys that while I'm so excited to be here this week... Sokka and I have decided to stay friends."

"You were going to stop being friends?" Bumi blurted and Princess Ursa rolled her eyes. There was gentle wave of laughter that swept across the table at his naivety followed by an extended silence, the sound of cutlery clicking against china filling the room. Nobody was quite sure how to follow that announcement, so they continued eating in relative silence.

Sokka watched Toph curiously, but she offered no discernible reaction to Suki's announcement. She simply munched away staring in no particular direction. Catching her attention silently was certainly a waste- they would never lock eyes and exchange a knowing look. Toph couldn't see the sincerity in his eyes, she would never understand the unspoken feeling, or the quiet apology in his worried expression. Non-verbals were never going to work, he realized. So, he cleared his throat.

"Um," he started to say, realizing just how booming his voice sounded in the quiet room. Everyone at the table looked at him expectantly, except Suki who must have known what was coming because she studied her food with diligence.

"Um, I also wanted to...tell you guys something. I mean, I guess we need to tell you," he rambled. Toph's head turned in his direction as she felt a rush of adrenaline shoot through her veins. She was afraid she knew where this was going.

"Right, Toph?" he asked, hoping for her approval to out them. All the heads turned in her direction this time and though she couldn't see it, she could feel it. Instead of answering she simply swallowed.

"What is going on?" Katara led as her patience wore thin.

Sokka let out something akin to a nervous laugh.

"Toph and I have been...seeing each other," he said, pausing for the obligatory blind joke from Toph which never came.

"Everyone is staring at me, aren't they?" Toph deadpanned. A moment of affirmative silence passed before she sighed in annoyance.

"Mom?" Lin asked, her voice tinged with confusion. Toph suppressed a groan and pushed her chair out, reaching over to grab Lin. She said nothing as she rested her daughter against her side and made her way out of the dining hall.

"That didn't go as I expected," Sokka commented after Toph's exit. The entire table seemed to be at a loss for words. Suki refused to look up from her food, worried that she would be inundated with pitiful stares.

Katara finally spoke, "Are you going to go after her?"

"Right," Sokka replied, pushing his own chair out, "Sorry," he apologized with a bow as he walked backward from the hall.

He made his way to Toph's room where he anticipated she was headed, but was advised by a housekeeper that the lady had gone outside. He wandered down the hall and out the doors, looking around with squinted eyes in the morning sun. He finally spotted her and Lin making their way down to the shore. He took off in a sprint, calling out to Toph in a matter of seconds. Toph's shoulders dropped a bit and she set Lin down on the sandy pathway in order to free up her hands for placement on her hips.

"What the hell was that?" she barked at him as he approached.

"What? I'm not the one who got up and stormed off," Sokka countered in frustration. She scoffed at him, then ticked her head in the direction of her daughter.

"I haven't even had a chance to talk to her about this," she argued, crossing her arms with authority. His head rolled back, noting his stupidity. She had a point. As far as Lin was concerned, her father was away for some finite amount of time, able to turn up at any moment and pick up where they left off. He wasn't sure Toph had even told her that they were separated romantically.

Sokka looked over at Lin sympathetically and waved his hand at her, "Come here, Bones." She did as she was told and ran to him without hesitation, offering no arguments as Sokka lifted her from the ground and into his arms.

"Listen, we've got some stuff to talk about," he began walking over to where Toph stood, "Should we head down to the beach?"

"Yeah, sure," Toph relented, walking alongside them. Lin rested her head against his shoulder in an attempt to find some comfort in the midst of the uncertainty surrounding her.

"Lin," he began, "What did you think when I said your Mom and I have been seeing each other? Do you know what that means?" She buried her face in his shirt, embarrassed to admit she did not understand.

"It's grown up code for dating," Toph explained, reaching up to rub her back lightly, "you know that one, right?" Lin nodded silently, her hair catching static against the fabric of Sokka's clothes. "Well, what do you think about that?"

Lin shrugged, keeping her face pressed against his shoulder.

"You're gonna have to use your words with me, kid," Toph reminded her.

In a small, muffled voice Lin asked, "What about Dad?"

"Turn up the volume," Toph instructed, pointing at her ear.

"What about Dad?" Lin repeated with a little more strength. Toph chewed her lip at this question, which wasn't altogether unexpected.

"Well, baby girl, your Dad and I are split up," Toph told her plainly. Lin's face pressed into Sokka again and he began to feel a dampness forming through his shirt. He reached up and began rubbing her back.

Upon hearing a telltale sniffle, Toph reached her arms out and Sokka passed the weeping five year old over. She was accepted with a grunt, "Damn, kid. You are getting big," Toph commented with a hint of mischief, hoping her change in tone would cheer Lin. It did cause her to let out a laugh against her will and Toph and Sokka laughed in return to keep the mood light as they sat down in the sand before the rolling waves.

"Listen to me," Toph told her, "just because your Dad and I aren't together doesn't mean we don't both still love you. Got me?" Lin nodded reluctantly.

"What if he comes home and Sokka is there?" Lin asked finally.

Sokka wrapped one hand around her small shoulders and gave her a light jostle, "Your Dad will always be your Dad, Lin. I'm not going to take over for him. I'm just going to be there too...as long as that's ok with you." When she didn't look up, he nudged her again, "I promise to make you rolled omelets whenever you want..."

Her mouth curled into a smile at that as Toph chimed in, "I'm not sure Dad is going to come back anytime soon, but if he does, having Sokka in our lives won't change anything. He loves you still, I love you, and Sokka loves you. Its like a bonus grown-up that makes omelets and teaches you how to sword fight," she pointed out helpfully.

Lin looked up at Sokka with wet eyes and the faintest hint of a smile, "You can date my Mom if you teach me sword fighting."

"Really? That's it?" Sokka asked with a mock incredulity, "That's all it takes?" Lin nodded, biting her bottom lip with a giggle.

"Well that was easier than expected," Toph shrugged as Sokka and Lin were sealing the deal with a handshake.

"You drive a hard bargain, Beifong," Sokka commented seriously as he shook Lin's small hand with comedic vigor.

"Let's start now!" Lin shouted, jumping up suddenly full of positive energy. Her fist punched the air with excitement though her eyes still brimmed red with tears.

"Actually," Toph began, "how about you go pick out some shells for me while I talk to this dunderhead." Lin groaned. "Go on, punk," Toph repeated with a wave of her hand, "we'll come get you for training in a minute."

Lin huffed, but walked away toward the surf as she was told, scouring the sand for something worthwhile.

"That worked out," Sokka noted brightly.

"Not so fast," Toph replied, placing one hand on his chest, "What was Suki doing in your room last night?"

"Talking," he answered, "Zuko thought he'd play matchmaker, but neither of us were willing. I told her about us."

"I should hope so," Toph returned, thinking of the scene at the breakfast table.

"Is that explanation enough? Are we good? Are we dating now?" Sokka asked, leaning in close.

Toph tapped her lip in thought, "Hmm...date you? You'll have to make me a lot of rolled omelets and teach me sword fighting," she joked.

"Beifong ladies are hard to please," he returned with a laugh, "but I think we can work something out."

"Ok then, I guess I'll let you date me," Toph sighed in feigned exasperation as he leaned in a bit closer and pressed his mouth to hers.

"Eww!" Lin cried out a short distance away as they both burst into laughter.


	9. Light and Shadows

Stretched out on a linen deck chair, Katara let her legs soak in the warm sun while hiding her upper body in the comfortable shade of a beach umbrella. In the chair beside her was her older brother, someone she thought she knew through and through. In light of recent news, she was second guessing that thought. She glanced at him, following his gaze to Toph who was at the water's edge applying sun lotion to her impatient daughter's back. Lin was shifting her weight from side to side, eager to get into the water where the older girls had already started playing mermaids. Katara smiled as she spotted her own daughter shoot out of the waving ocean and dive back in with a fishtail of water covering her lower half.

Her eyes drifted back up the beach to Sokka again, watching him watch them. She leaned to one side and pulled her sunglasses down her nose a bit.

"What?" he asked, catching her stare.

"So..." she led.

"So...?"

"You and Toph..."

"Me and Toph," he replied.

"Are you just going to repeat everything I say?" Katara finally asked with a sigh. He shrugged, so she continued, "What's going on there?"

"What do you mean?"

She gave him a withering look and pushed her glasses up, "When did this start and how come we didn't know about it?"

Sokka sat up on his chair with a smirk, "There you go, being specific isn't so hard, is it?"

"Will you ever grow up?" Katara asked with a scowl.

"Probably not," he told her seriously.

She gave him a pointed look, "Then you two are perfect for each other."

Sokka laughed at that, sure that truer words had never been spoken.

"So says the woman married to that guy," he said smugly pointing toward the ocean where Aang had suspended himself on a funnel of water in the middle of the three little girls, holding a trident he'd fashioned from sea water. "I am King Merman! Hear me, Mermaids! You must recover the sunken treasure for my MerKingdom!" he announced in a voice far deeper than his normal one.

Katara sighed, "Yes. I have four children," she admitted, smiling adoringly at her husband just as he tossed a small sack of nearly worthless yuan coins into the waves. The girls all dove under the water, racing to find it.

"You guys have an eye on her?" Toph asked, slightly nervous as she made her way back to the deck chairs. She was always on edge near the water and her fears were magnified anytime Lin was out of her 'sight.'

Sokka squinted up at her as she approached, "why don't you just go in with her?"

"I don't swim, dummy," Toph retorted. Sokka turned his head and waggled his eyebrows at his sister conspiratorially. Jumping up, he ran at Toph full speed, grabbing her around the waist and hoisting her into his arms with a playful grunt. He continued, quick as he could toward the water as she screamed in protest, hitting his shoulders frantically.

"Put me down! Put me down! I will kill you," she told him as he laughed through her assault. They entered the water and Toph yelped when she felt the water climb to her midsection.

"I'm not kidding, Sokka," she warned in a panicked voice, scrambling to climb his body.

"Toph, relax. I've got you," he assured with a light laugh, "you trust me, right?"

"I did until you dragged me out into the ocean against my will," she quipped quickly, locking her legs around his waist. The water was nearly at her shoulders when she finally stopped struggling. They were quiet a moment and Toph could hear Lin a short distance away shouting something at Ursa. The water lapped against her shoulders again and she was beginning to see the appeal. It was cool and kind of serene out here.

"Not so bad, huh?" Sokka asked, leaning in to kiss her. The moment their lips met a wave crashed over him, directly in her face. She hacked and coughed in its wake.

"Fuck this trip," she deadpanned, wet hair hanging in her face. Sokka roared with laughter.

Their time at Ember Island that year had a lightness to it. It was a playful atmosphere and the entire group seemed to collectively exhale a breath they'd been unwittingly holding in for the past year. Things seemed to be easier this year as if everything were falling comfortably into place after a period of strain. Often as they went on in years, the gang would look back on this trip as holding a particular zeitgeist, a spirit of a time that could never be recaptured, but forever recalled with fondness. That is not to say there weren't a few awkward moments or adjustments happening.

After the third day, Suki returned to the Fire Nation Capital. She assured that it had been part of her plan all along, but Sokka knew her well enough to realize she was fibbing. He walked her to her waiting carriage and gave her a lingering hug, channeling his intentions through his loving, platonic touch. Their parting was as friends and each of them found a smile spreading across their face as they moved slowly moved away from one another.

The fourth night, they group gathered on the beach to celebrate Lin's fifth birthday in true Fire Nation fashion. There was a bonfire and plenty of spicy foods set out for their enjoyment. Lin was in heaven as hired entertainers hula-hooped with flaming hoops and exotic looking people breathed fire to the sound of applause. It was certainly the most extravagant birthday she would ever have and Zuko was happy to provide his friends with the royal treatment. Ursa joined in with the entertainers, waving her hands rapidly in the darkness as fire streaked in the wake of her motions. She spelled out all the kids' names and made different shapes as children and adults both cheered her. Bumi began requesting words and the kids all giggled after he whispered in Ursa's ear and she wrote "butt" in blazing orange light. That put an end to festivities as Katara reminded them all to mind their manners. Mai was amused by their immaturity and sat by, explaining all the goings on to Toph, with whom she found a somewhat kindred spirit. They certainly mothered the same way- gentle sarcasm tempered with true understanding and love.

Their daughters shared a special rapport as well. At age nine, Ursa was quite literally a firecracker. Full of energy and ideas, very self-assured and well aware of her position in life. Without fail each year, the trip began with Ursa butting heads with Lin, who was four years her junior and yet equally as self-assured and stubborn. The two girls would jockey for top spot with one another for the first few days but by the end of the week, would have to be separated forcibly as they had discovered they were two sides of the same coin.

"I don't want to go," Lin pouted after breakfast on their last day in the Fire Nation.

"Yeah, life is tough," Toph agreed, "You're going to have to return to your high-profile, high-stress job as a woman in a man's world. Living your life as a single parent, balancing the demands of raising a child while blind and... oh wait that's me."

Lin crossed her arms and scowled as butlers sauntered passed her with their luggage.

"Can Ursa come stay with us?" she asked as she followed her mother from the room.

"Yeah, why not trade in a palace for a guest room in Republic City," Toph told her airily over her shoulder as they made their way to the courtyard to join the others.

Appa stood in the center of the courtyard as stable hands doted on him and saddled him up with a fascination in their eyes- it wasn't often they got to handle an endangered species.

Kya and Ursa who were the same age stood together in a hug, looking loathe to let go. Bumi was busy chasing Tenzin around with a small bag of snapping firecrackers, throwing them at his feet with a 'pop.' They were easily dodged by the young Airbender, but the commotion was enough for Katara to reach out and confiscate the bag from her middle son with a scowl.

"That's enough boys. Time to go everyone," she announced, pointing specifically to Appa's tail so that Bumi knew any other form of boarding would be a punishable act.

Lin ran to the older girls and wrapped her arms around them as well.

"I'll write you both everyday," Ursa promised in her most sincere voice. Mai rolled her eyes and leaned in to Toph, "Oh right, but practicing calligraphy 'hurts her hands.'"

"We'll write you too!" Lin returned and Toph let out a small laugh.

"I'd love to read these letters," Toph snorted, "' Ate animal crackers. Played tag, nap time, rough couple of days,'" she joked.

With final hugs the visitors boarded Appa's back for their return trip to Republic City. Toph took Sokka's arm for assistance and Sokka didn't miss the stupid grin on Aang's face as he watched them.

"Until next time, Fire Lord!" Aang called out with a smile, "Yip yip!" and Appa kicked off the ground. The Fire Lord's summer home retreated in the distance until the Island itself was but a small speck on the horizon.

It didn't take long to get back into the routine of things when the gang returned. Toph and Lin's bending practice resumed with its previous rigor in the early mornings after which Toph would drop Lin off at Air Temple Island and head into work. Headquarters was bustling and every cop on the beat was aiming to make a name for themselves by finding a charge that might stick to Yakone. Unfortunately, they each failed time and time again. The evidence fell short of their ambition and Yakone would be free to run the city's underbelly. Occasionally, officers would hear a barrage of curse words and the sound of objects being thrown around violently from behind the closed door of their Chief's office after she'd begrudgingly had to release him. Luckily for Toph, there was a wonderful change in her life that helped to calm her temper when it flared and that was the presence of Councilman Sokka.

Outside of work, they fell into a happily domestic routine. Often times, Sokka would be the one to retrieve Lin from Katara's care and bring her home before Toph was out of work. The three of them would eat dinner together at least four nights a week. Sometimes Sokka would stay over, other times he would go just before Lin's bedtime, but his presence was appreciated by both girls.

It wasn't long before the cool air of autumn settled over Republic City, shooing the summer out like an unwanted guest and leaving a frost on the trees each morning. With the change of the seasons came another big change: school. It would be Lin's first year in class and Toph decided on enrolling her at Yu Dao Preparatory, if only because that is where Aang and Katara had enrolled their own children.

"Almost ready, baby girl?" Toph called down the hallway.

Lin came sprinting out of her room with an eager smile, bag of school supplies in hand. She was wearing a brand new tunic for the occasion, one she'd saved for this day specifically with green and gold hues. When Aang told her that the colors brought out her eyes, she knew she'd chosen well. They linked up with Aang's family before entering the school house. Katara gave Lin a quick freshening up, fastening her dark curls into a sensible shape with pins.

"There we go. Never looked more beautiful," Katara smiled at her, "What do you think?"

Katara turned Lin to face the group and Aang's jaw dropped in a playfully exaggerated manner, "Where did Lin go? I could have sworn Lin Beifong was just here, but now I can only see this refined young woman! Excuse me, miss? Could you tell me where Lin went? She's a little girl, about your height," Aang joked.

Lin giggled, "I'm right here!"

His eyes popped and he laughed, "Lin? Wow! You look great! I almost didn't recognize you now that you're old enough to be in school!"

She laughed again and Toph pat her head, "You look great baby."

"Mooom," Lin whined, "You can't even see me."

There was an awkward silence when a sad look crossed Toph's features. The moment lingered and Lin wished she could take back her hurtful words and put them some place they couldn't embarrass her.

"Well, who is ready for day one?" Aang asked enthusiastically, breaking through the tension.

"Me!" Tenzin proclaimed, raising his hand. Kya and Bumi made dull cheers as well and the group moved forward.

Once inside, Kya made her way down the hallway with a sense of purpose and familiarity. Bumi insisted he could make it to his class alone, but Aang escorted him there regardless. Katara and Toph led the youngest of their group into the room designated for Year One students. The room was laid out with several tables and plenty of friendly decorations covering the walls, many with encouraging phrases scrawled across them.

After a brief orientation, the parents said their farewells. Some children clung desperately to their legs as they made an effort to depart. Lin attempted to wave Toph away casually, teasing Tenzin when she saw him tug on Katara's skirt with wet eyes.

"Not gonna miss me, huh?" Toph joked, as Lin pushed her way out of a hug.

"Mom," Lin told her in a low voice, "I'm too big for baby stuff."

"Hugging your Mom isn't baby stuff, Lin," Toph countered with an amused laugh. Lin huffed in exasperation. "Ok, ok. I get it Ms. Independent!" Toph sighed, standing, "Be good. Got me?"

"Got you," Lin confirmed, taking off to find her seat.

Toph turned to exit the room with Katara who had extracted her skirt from her son's clenched fist. They were met in the hall by Aang who was being escorted by the principal.

"As always we want to thank you for choosing us," the principal was telling him with a soft smile.

"The kids love it here," Aang shrugged. With a bow, the principal departed.

"Are you ok?" Aang questioned looking up at Katara and Toph, both of whom had tears in their eyes.

"I'm fine," Toph insisted, wiping her eye.

Katara sniffled, "My littlest baby..."

In the classroom the teacher, Ms. Tong, suggested they play a getting-to-know-you game in which the children would have to color code facts about themselves and then fill in missing spaces when they found another child that matched them.

The kids ran around the room, comparing their sheets of colored paper with identifying facts on them. Tenzin linked up with another boy that also had a sister, Lin met a boy that had no siblings like her. On their teacher's prompt- they would scramble around again, attempting to spot similarities like this and Lin found a girl called Yi who was also an earthbender. They colored beside one another happily until a chubby girl joined in.

Yi and the other girl looked at one another and whispered conspiratorially, then with a mischievous eye, Yi spoke.

"What's wrong with your Mom?" Yi asked Lin, looking quite pleased with herself. Next to her, the chubby girl giggled behind her hand.

Lin looked up at them, confused, "What do you mean?"

"She looks weird."

Lin's eyes narrowed, "She's not."

"She doesn't even look at people when she talks," the chubby girl provided. Lin had stopped coloring, her fist clenching around the stub of colored wax in her hand. She was caught between the urge to cry and the urge to hit someone. In all the time that she daydreamed about coming to this place, she hadn't considered being singled out in this way. She always thought it was a wondrous building where sophisticated, older kids like Kya went to read books with substance and play on elaborate swing sets.

"It's because she's blind," Tenzin argued defensively from behind Lin.

"Shut up, Tenzin!" Lin screeched hotly. She didn't want him talking about it anymore than she wanted these girls commenting on it.

"Gross," the chubby one said, "is that contagious?"

"No," Lin responded quickly, "you can't catch blindness, stupid."

"You're stupid," the girl volleyed back.

"You're stupid," Lin returned just as she felt the weight of a hand on her shoulder. It was her teacher's hand, strong and commanding.

"Lin," she began sounding disappointed and full of judgement, "we don't use mean words like that in here, understood? I expect better from the daughter of our Police Chief."

She almost argued, but thought better of it. Though, she did pause to wonder how exactly her teacher knew that Toph was the Chief of Police.

"They started it," Tenzin supplied for her, pointing at the girls righteously.

"I only know what I heard and what I heard wasn't very nice," the teacher replied looking at each of the kids, "I think it would be nice if you apologized to Karuna." The teacher looked at Lin, hopeful and bright.

So, Lin sucked in her pride and prepared to lie about something to the devious little plump girl she now knew was called Karuna.

"Sorry," Lin grumbled.

"And Karuna, its customary to gracefully accept an apology..." the teacher intoned.

"Apology accepted," Karuna chimed happily, stepping forward to wrap Lin into a hug. Lin remained with her arms at her sides, scowling as their teacher made a pleasant sound from beside them.

Toph made it a point to be the one to pick Lin up from her first day of school. She stood side by side with Katara, in her uniform waiting patiently outside as small children filed past them. All the kindergarten children walked outside in a single line, holding hands.

"Awww," Katara cooed when she spotted them, "Here they come. Tenzin and Lin are holding hands!"

Toph smiled and waved in their general direction.

"How was the first day guys?" Katara asked as they broke from the line and approached. Tenzin bounced on the balls of his feet, showing off his finger paintings with pride. Lin went to Toph's side and clung to her pant leg, quietly.

"Let's go," she insisted.

"Are you ok, Lin?" Katara asked, when she saw the solemn expression on her face.

Lin nodded as Toph bumped her daughter with her hip playfully, "Whats wrong kid?"

"Nothing," Lin replied.

Mother and daughter walked the streets back to their home and in hand. It was mostly a one-sided conversation. Toph asked questions and Lin replied with grunts and shrugs. She didn't know how to tell her mother that school was not what she expected. How would she feel if she knew Lin had been teased because of her disability? Lin looked up at her mother and caught a ray of light as it glinted off her shining badge. Suddenly that badge held a new meaning for Lin. People knew her mother. She was famous and Lin was going to always be known as the Chief's daughter, obligated to behave as such. As they turned a corner the light shifted, planting Lin firmly in the coolness of her mother's shadow as they walked.


	10. Daddy Issues

The first letter arrived a week after school began. By the time Lin was seven years old she had four letters from her father and two birthday cards. They were long, descriptive notes written on paper stained with tea and coffee, colorful illustrations decorating the margins. They held scenes of Ba Sing Se- images that fascinated his young daughter who folded each one carefully so as not to degrade them when she slid them under her pillow at night. It was the only contact she'd had with him in nearly three years and each page was treasured as such.

Upon arriving home, Lin would be clamoring to open the mailbox each day in anticipation of one of these rare joys. If Sokka wasn't there, Toph would withhold the mail from her initially. She made sure to inspect the letters before handing them over to Lin, just incase there was any kind of manipulative wording inside.

"Ah ah," Toph would say, holding the mail over her head as Lin jumped beside her, "You know the rules. Sokka reads it first."

As soon as Sokka read Mo's words aloud to Toph, the letter would be turned over to Lin who ran eagerly to her room, threw herself on the bed and deliberated over every last inch of the page. Soon after reading her father's words, Lin would whip her desk drawer open and begin her reply. They usually ran several pages long and were supplemented by small drawings of her own. Again, these letters would be reviewed by Toph and Sokka before sending them out. Sokka often lamented the artistic skill of a seven year old as he licked the envelope and sent it on its way back to the largest city in the Earth Kingdom.

"Mom? Can you take me to Ba Sing Se someday?" Lin would ask at random moments.

"I hate that city," Toph would return with a scowl, "You wouldn't like it, trust me."

But Lin thought she would.

"Well, when is Dad going to come back here then?" she would pout.

"Good question, kid."

Her question was answered on a Tuesday of no particular importance. School let out and Katara collected Lin as well as her own children promptly at three in the afternoon. From school they went back to Air Temple Island for playtime and, because Toph was running late, dinner. By the time she finally arrived the rest of the group was halfway through enjoying their five flavor soup.

With a thank you and a full stomach, Toph left the island with her daughter by her side. It was dark by the time they arrived home and Toph walked past the mailbox without a thought.

"Mom..." Lin reminded her, knocking her fist against the box and pulling it open.

"Oh, right. What have we got today?"

"Bill," Lin began as she flipped through, "bill, bill..." she trailed off as her eyes fell upon an intricately designed envelope post-marked from Ba Sing Se.

"Bill," Lin lied, sliding the letter under her tunic quietly.

"Ugh, of course," Toph grumbled taking the stack of envelopes in her hands, "Lin?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we missing one? I thought there were four," Toph asked shuffling the mail between her slim fingers.

"I just said it an extra time," Lin covered quickly as they entered the house. She didn't discard her shoes at the door as she normally would, having long ago discovered the secret to her mother's lie detecting skills.

"Shoes off, baby girl," Toph instructed as she did away with her own.

"What? Why?"

"Why?' Because they are straightjackets for feet. And we're about to practice some bending," she announced, producing a coin from nowhere.

Lin winced. Her mother had it in her head that Lin could learn to metal bend before she had. Suddenly twelve years old wasn't good enough. Toph was determined for her daughter to push that coin before she reached the double digits in age. "If I can't teach you, I'm not fit to have my own Academy!" she would shout during their daily exercises. Lin wasn't sure if she were encouraging her or berating herself.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Lin told her, running quickly down the hall and shutting the door. "I'll meet you outside!"

She sat back on the closed lid of the toilet and opened the envelope as silently as possible.

Hi Little One,

Guess what? I'm going to be in Republic City soon! I read your last letter and it looks like I will be able to make it to your Father's Day event at school because I'm going to have an art show at the same time! I hope your Mom will let you come! I made a painting just for you.

Thinking of you always,

-Dad

It was short but so, so sweet. Lin practically vibrated off the seat with anticipation. She'd almost forgotten his face.

"Mom!" she called out as she burst from the bathroom.

"No flush?" Toph asked, lifting her eyebrow at the end of the hall. "Come on, kid. That's gross. Get back in there."

Lin swallowed a substantial amount of air at her mistake, having forgotten her lie entirely in the midst of excitement. She turned on her heel, made her way back to the bathroom and flushed the toilet leaving the letter on the sink for the time being.

The happy news didn't do much to ease the pain of metal bending practice, however. Lin held the coin in her hands with her eyes closed.

"Concentrate," Toph told her simply.

"I am," Lin ground out bitterly.

"Lose the attitude and concentrate," she repeated, "feel the impurities. Concentrate on what makes it familiar. Listen for the earth inside."

After a pained silence Lin finally sighed, "Its not moving."

"You aren't listening to me!" Toph snapped, "Is your blindfold on? Are you eyes closed?"

"Yes!"

"Then open up your damn ears!" Toph shouted so close that Lin thought her eardrums might rupture. Lin, finally having her fill of being domineered, pulled the blindfold off her face and threw it on the ground.

"No!" she shouted back as the tears began to form, "I don't want to do this anymore! I can't metalbend!"

Toph reached down and gathered the blindfold in one quick motion and grabbed Lin's shoulders, pulling her over to tie the blindfold back around her head roughly.

"Ouch! You're hurting me!" Lin whined as she was manhandled by her aggravated mother.

"You're pissing me off," Toph countered, giving the blindfold one last cinch and placing the coin back in the palm of her daughter's hand. "Now concentrate...and don't ever tell me you can't do something again- understood?"

Lin whimpered and wiped her nose on her forearm before straightening and trying again. They stood in silence for minutes on end as Lin willed the coin to move, but it refused to budge.

"I can do this all night," Toph reminded her after awhile.

Lin remained silent, sending small vibrations through the coin and visualizing the bits of earth inside. They were so tiny, so immobile. She begged the earth to move but it remained stagnant and ever elusive. Tears began to form and Lin was careful not to make a sound that would alert Toph to her weakness. She was frustrated, but more than anything she was ashamed.

"Dammit, Lin. Are you even trying?" Toph barked.

Lin bit her lip in order to still its quivering. She drew in a measured breath and gave in to the realization that it wasn't going to happen. She would never be a metalbender. She would never make her mother proud.

After minutes of tense silence between them, Lin burst- throwing the coin with every ounce of her strength across the yard.

"I can't do it!" she cried, "I can't! I can't! I can't!"

Her outburst was followed by a desperate sprint back into the house, punctuated by the slamming of the front door. On the lawn, Toph sighed, feeling a little ashamed herself.

It was pain, turmoil, and stress that motivated her students to metalbend in the past, but maybe that wouldn't be the avenue for Lin.

She entered the house and sent a pulse through the floor, finding her seven year old daughter sniffling on the bed in her room.

"Leave me alone," Lin told her with a ragged breath as Toph walked through her doorway.

"Can't, sorry," Toph sighed, taking a seat on the edge of her daughter's bed. Toph placed a hand on Lin's back and rubbed her gently, finding that her hand travelled a further distance than she had been expecting. "You're getting so big," Toph whispered in realization.

Lin grunted and buried her face deeper into the pillow before her.

"Listen baby girl," Toph began, "I'm not mad at you. I am just frustrated with your attitude. You know how much I hate it when people say 'I can't.'"

"But I really can't. I will never be as good as you. I'm not a legend," Lin sobbed into her sheets.

Her muffled statement hit Toph square in the chest and she was soaked in remorse. There was certainly a tendency in Toph to ride the wave of adulation that came with her talents. People were in awe of her abilities and she was never shy about repeating their praise to anyone within ear shot. What she hadn't counted on was how good Lin's hearing was. Years of patting herself on the back, of trash talking her fellow benders, and bragging had left an indelible mark on her daughter's psyche. It was fair to say that Toph was a legend, known across the world as the gold standard of earthbending, but it was not fair that her daughter should feel pressured to live up to that kind of reputation.

"You are still young, kid. Its not fair for me to expect so much out of you," Toph told her, reaching up to stroke her hair.

Lin rolled onto her side tentatively, sputtering out short, shallow breaths in an attempt to control her tears.

"Shhh," Toph said reaching out to wipe her cheeks, "you know, you are still one of the most amazing earthbenders I've ever trained."

"I am?" Lin croaked.

"Are you kidding? There are men on my force that can't bend like you can, baby girl."

Her comment solicited a small laugh from Lin, who inhaled deeply and wiped at her damp eyes.

"Come here," Toph sighed, pulling at Lin's long arms. Lin relented, curling into her mothers lap as best she could. Toph kissed her forehead. "You will be able to metalbend eventually," Toph whispered against her hair, "I didn't do it until I was twelve and we are same, same! So, maybe its just going to take a little more time." Lin nodded with a sniffle.

That effectively ended their bending practice for the day. Instead of practicing, Toph bathed Lin and the two girls curled up with a book in Toph's large bed. Lin read aloud, her soft voice tapering off after only minutes as she sunk deep into sleep.

The following morning was chaotic. Toph woke with a start, realizing quickly that something was off. The birds were chirping outside her window, which meant only one thing. She had forgotten to set her alarm.

"Wake up, slug," she urged her daughter who slept splayed across Toph's arm, rending it nearly useless. Lin sat up, wiping at her eyes.

"It's daytime," she observed hazily. Toph shoved the blankets away with her right hand and grunted a little as she rolled her stiff neck and fully appreciated the throbbing in her left arm.

"Up, up! Let's get going," she ordered hastily, rushing into the bathroom to brush her teeth, "we're late! Read me what the clock says."

"Its eight thirty," Lin told her plainly with a yawn.

"Motherfucker," came Toph's frustrated voice from the bathroom, spitting the foaming baking soda from her mouth as she spoke.

"Moooom!" Lin scolded as she slid out of bed.

Toph spit into the sink, "get in here kid! Brush your teeth, we've got to go!"

Lin wandered into the bathroom and her eyes travelled immediately to the letter that lay along the side of the sink, covered in tiny flecks of water. Her heart pounded as she looked from her mother to the paper. She'd completely forgotten it was in here.

"Get a move on, baby girl," Toph instructed, wiping her own mouth on a towel and moving to hand Lin a toothbrush. As she did, her right hand rested against the sink, settling delicately on the letter from Mo.

With a curl of her fingers, the paper scrunched beneath her palm and she gathered it up with a curious expression.

"What is this?" she asked, holding it out in Lin's direction. When there was no immediate response, Toph searched the stone flooring for Lin's heartbeat which thumped tellingly. "Lin...?" she asked, "What am I holding?"

"A bill," Lin lied. Toph shook her head, sensing Lin's heart rate accelerating rapidly.

"Try again," she told her, shaking the leaf of paper.

"It's a letter from my Dad," Lin confessed in a mumble.

Toph exhaled, frustration lacing her breath as it left her, "Brush your teeth," she instructed again, "We'll deal with this later."

The walk to school seemed endless for Lin, who received an earful about rules and lying the entire time. The lecture was just as tedious for Toph to deliver as it was for her daughter to absorb.

"I deserve this," Toph complained at lunch with Katara that afternoon. The master waterbender and healer had been in the neighborhood, volunteering at the nearby hospital as she occasionally did now that her children were busy with schooling during the day. After a successful session with one of Toph's officers, she'd decided to pop into headquarters and see if the Chief was available for a bite and some girl talk.

"What do you mean?" Katara wondered as she blew on her steaming bowl of ramen.

"This is just the universe getting back at me for being such a little shit when I was a kid," Toph told her from across the table.

Katara smiled, "Lin is just at that age," she mused as she slurped her broth.

There was a skeptical scoff from across the way and she looked up to find Toph sitting back in her seat, "I find it hard to believe that any of your angelic children lie to you."

"Oh, Bumi does all the time," Katara reminded her with a laugh.

"I wish I could figure out a way to freeze her in place so she stops getting older and more conniving," Toph laughed, digging into her own meal.

"What are you going to do about the letter?" Katara asked.

"I don't know," Toph replied, "I am afraid Mo won't follow through. We've gotten this type of letter before. He wrote to say he would make it here for her birthday this year and I'm so glad I didn't tell her. As you know, he never showed up. It would have crushed her if she thought he was going to be there. She's so damn sensitive."

Katara nodded, thinking of Toph's little girl who often projected herself as an indestructible scrapper, but would come crying to Katara if she were being left out of the group during playtime. She'd been getting tougher in that respect in the past months, cleverly setting up a structure of games that allowed her to be in charge of the others so as not to be left out. Lately, it was Bumi who would burst into the kitchen with a frown declaring that he had been tagged out or sidelined by Lin in some way. Kya, being a bit older, was aware of the social dynamic and often appeased Lin in an effort to keep the peace. Tenzin had little trouble mostly due to the fact that he blindly followed Lin's instructions without argument. However, Bumi stood in Katara's doorway on more than one occasion with Lin in a headlock, each of them shouting at the other.

"Let's just hope he shows this time," Katara sighed.

"Hmph," was Toph's reply.

The day approached more quickly than Toph had anticipated. Two weeks had passed since Sokka had helped her pen a letter to Mo. She wrote to explain the level of anticipation Lin had for his visit. She reminded him how crushed Lin would be if he did not arrive promptly and with a smile. With a silent prayer, she dropped the letter into the outgoing mail at work.

Now that the secret was out, Lin talked about seeing her father non-stop. She talked about him through dinner each night, during play time at Air Temple Island, and to the kids at school. Hardly any ear was spared the praises of her father who became a larger than life globe-trotting artist in his daughter's tales, visiting exotic locations and painting commissioned art for important people in every nation.

As a precaution, Toph had taken the afternoon off work so that she may take Mo's place if he neglected to turn up at Lin's school. It may be embarrassing to have a mother present at a Father's Day event, but it was better than nothing. As Toph pulled her coat on to leave the house her newly installed telephone rang. She was one of a select group of private citizens in Republic City that had the luxury of this device in their home. It was gifted to her by the Avatar and accepted graciously as there were occasions in which she was needed at Police Headquarters on a moment's notice.

This was one of those calls.

There was a hostage situation across town in the Jade Gardens neighborhood. A desperate earth bender had attempted to rob a bank in this sleepy suburb, but was shocked to be walled in by police upon his exit. He retreated back into the bank with a promise to kill any of the patrons should he be followed.

"I'll be right there," Toph sighed in defeat.

On the opposite end of he city, the classrooms of Yu Dao Preparatory were packed with fathers. The oversized men sat in chairs designed for smaller bodies beside their grinning children, being called to the front of the room one by one to introduce themselves and explain what they did for a living. The day would culminate in sweet treats and a song from the children to the fathers, composed lovingly for this event.

Lin watched the door anxiously with an empty chair at her side.

Tenzin and his father sat at the same table, appearing just as interested in the doorway and the vacant seat next to Lin.

Several fathers had gone through their presentations and answered questions from the kids. Throughout it all, the seat remained unoccupied. Aang noticed a group of teachers gathering together and the back of the room, whispering anxiously and stealing nervous glances at Lin.

"Hang tight," Aang whispered to Tenzin and Lin as he rose from his seat to join the teachers.

"When its time to sing the song, just sing to my Dad," Tenzin whispered in her ear as his father departed. Lin scowled at him.

"No. My Dad will be here soon, he's just late," she insisted, watching the door. Tenzin looked back up toward the front of the room with a shake of his head.

Aang was back at their table shortly and smiled sympathetically at Lin, "I think your Dad is running late. If he doesn't make it in time, would it be OK with you if I stood in for him?"

Lin glanced at the seat to her side and bit her lip, "I guess," she conceded.

She listened as the other fathers droned on. None held her interest for very long as Lin had become aware of the other children taking note of her absent father. Soon, it wasn't just the teachers who spoke in whispers. Her face colored, a redness of rage and embarrassment. She knew that Aang would stand before the class and explain that he was Lin's uncle. He would say her father was busy, but as the hushed voices swirled around her she wished he would simply lie and say he was her father. She didn't want to be known as the girl without a Dad.

As Karuna's father finished speaking, he collected his seat beside her and she cast a smug look in Lin's direction.

"Ok, Lin it looks like your Dad is up next," the teacher, Ms. Lee, announced, looking down at her chart. Aang moved to stand, but just as he did his eyes caught a familiar figure walking through the door. With a smile, he sat back down into the small chair.

"Sorry I'm late."

Lin turned to find Sokka walking toward the front of the class, giving her a quick wink as he passed. A strange feeling settled inside her chest at the sight of him. It was relief and disappointment in one instant and her eyes stung.

"Hello, small children," he greeted the class, "I'm here for Lin. My name is Sokka, I'm a councilman here in Republic City representing the Southern Water Tribe..."

He spoke for no more than a minute about his work before opening up for questions. Several curious hands went up.

"If you're Water Tribe, how come Lin is an earthbender?" one child asked.

"I see you kids haven't made it to the biology portion of your studies...," he observed with humor, "uh, Lin's mother is an earthbender. One of history's greatest."

He then pointed at Karuna, "Yes?"

"Lin said her Dad was an artist, not a Councilman," she challenged.

"Oh I'm known for that too," Sokka returned quickly, "Check this out."

He moved to the blackboard and readily scribbled a grotesque sketch of what might have passed for a human child before turning back to face the class, "See? I just drew your portrait."

The class giggled loudly at his drawing and Lin gave Karuna a wicked smile.

The questions ended shortly after. Aang's time at the front of the class went on the longest as children and parents alike rose their hands during the question and answer portion. Ms. Lee mercifully interjected that the time for questions had gone on long enough and ushered Aang back to his seat with a look of gratitude from the Avatar.

At the end of the speeches, the children gathered at the front of the room and sang a song detailing the specialness of a father's love. Each child sang along, moving their hands in unison, having practiced this moment for weeks.

Cheers and applause rose from the crowd as the song ended and many of the children ran forward to hug their fathers. Lin was one of them, leaping at Sokka and nuzzling her face against his neck.

"Thank you, Sokka," she told him quietly, letting her eyes close with relief.

The excitement Lin felt in anticipation of this event was great, but the dread she began feeling when her father neglected to arrive was greater. In her early years of schooling, Lin learned what it meant to be singled out and picked on. Classmates rarely got the better of her in arguments, but they were quick to point out the small things. Most often she attracted their jeers when her clothes didn't match as a result of her mother's blindness. Toph often set outfits for Lin on her dresser each night before bed and Lin became a quick study in which outfits would get her bullied.

"These don't match," she told her mother one night as she stared at the poorly folded tunic and pants on her nightstand.

"So? You're seven," was Toph's reply.

If a mismatched outfit brought the negative attention Lin was desperate to avoid, she didn't want to imagine the schoolyard abuzz with talk of her missing father.

Sokka kissed her temple quick, "Anytime, Bones! I hope you don't mind me standing in for your Dad."

Lin shook her head and smiled just as Aang approached them, mouth full.

"Fruit pies, over there," he told Sokka merrily chewing away.

Sokka's hands went to either side of his own face and he gasped in the most feminine voice he could conjure, "Holy Spirits! It's the Avatar!"

Aang gave him a light laugh, keenly aware of the adulation Sokka was mocking. The female teachers swarmed him after the song, offering sweets readily as many of the fathers sought him out, attempting to form some kind of brotherly bond over the dessert table.

The bell chimed, signaling the end of school and Aang was sure to make a second pass of the dessert table, stuffing several fruit pies in his mouth before departing with Tenzin at his side.

"How did you know to come up here?" he asked Sokka as Lin and Tenzin ran ahead, racing one another to the front gate.

"I didn't," Sokka admitted, "I just figured Mo wouldn't come through, so I left City Hall after lunch and had been sitting in the hallway the whole time waiting, just incase."

Aang smiled, "You are a really great Dad, Sokka."

Sokka's face warmed and he looked at the ground quickly, "Well, I'm not her-"

"You are," Aang affirmed, cutting Sokka's comment at the quick.

His words caused a thoughtful smile to appear on Sokka's face, finding himself oddly pleased to hear someone articulate what he'd been feeling for years.

"Thanks."

Lin maintained that Mo had simply been late. The day turned to night, and night to day, but Lin remained firm in her conviction.

"Maybe he missed the train," Lin surmised after her morning bending practice the next day.

"Yeah, maybe," Toph grumbled as she ran a comb through Lin's unruly locks.

"I hope he didn't miss his art show," Lin sighed as her head was jerked to one side as the comb caught a particularly nasty tangle. Toph sighed, keeping her true thoughts to herself.

"Maybe he will get here today," Lin added.

"Yeah, maybe."

As it turned out, Lin was correct. Mo hadn't missed the train, so much as he'd slept through its departure. He caught the following train bound for Republic City and made his way to Dragon Flats where he found a room to rent for the weekend. It was Friday and his gallery showing was scheduled to begin tomorrow. He had to work quickly, hauling his paintings into the gallery and setting up with the help of the owner, an eccentric man who traveled the world in search of pieces to fill his space.

After a day full of heavy lifting and awkward conversation, Mo made his way to Yu Dao Preparatory around three o'clock. Standing outside in a sea of other parents he heard the bell ring inside the building and the doors burst open, children of various ages pouring out.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Katara, looking mostly the same as he'd last seen her. He was careful to take a step back out of her view. He'd had enough uncomfortable interactions today to last him for some time.

His eyes searched the crowd for a daughter he worried he might not recognize. He found her in less than a minute, bounding alongside a boy he identified as Tenzin. She was much taller than he recalled, and her facial features appeared sharper, but the youthful look in her eyes was just as he remembered as she looped her thumbs through the straps of her school bag and used her elbows to playfully knock against Tenzin as they walked toward the gate.

Mo took another look at the crowd of parents, scanning for Toph. She was nowhere to be found, but the kids continued through the gate in Katara's direction.

"Lin!" he called out. He didn't want to draw attention, but there was no avoiding it in this case. Her head turned in his direction. He watched as her face went from curious to ecstatic and she took off running toward him.

"Dad!"

Her sprinting form was followed by Katara's eyes. She watched as Lin leapt into her father's open arms and told her own children to wait patiently as she left their side.

"I knew you were just running late," Lin announced, inhaling the scent of him. She was overwhelmed by his presence and felt as if her heart were actually swelling inside her rib cage at his touch.

"I wasn't going to miss a chance to see my girl," he replied, kissing her hair.

He heard a throat being cleared on the other side of the child in his arms and shifted to see the narrowed eyes of Katara staring him down.

"Lin?" she began, "Please go back and wait with the others while I speak to your father."

Lin twisted in his grip and gave Katara a puzzled glance before turning back to her Dad for his input.

"I'm just picking her up from school," Mo offered as explanation. Katara appeared reluctant to engage him in further conversation as Lin remained.

"Lin, please go stand with Tenzin," she ordered again. Lin scowled and gripped her father's waist tighter.

"I want to go with him," she protested. Mo shrugged at Katara.

"Well, I'm sorry sweetheart, but you can't," Katara explained, "Your Mom asked me to pick you up."

"I'm her Dad," Mo argued. Katara's eyes told him she was not convinced.

"And I'm her caretaker right now," Katara explained, "So she's going to have to come with me and you can work this out with Toph later."

Mo rolled his eyes, leaving his hand possessively on Lin's shoulder. A moment passed without a word or a movement.

"If you don't leave her with me, I'm going to have to get the police involved," Katara told him evenly.

Mo's head went back with a derisive laugh.

"Spirits... you people," Mo sighed on the end of his chuckle.

Frustrated, Katara let her hand drop to the pouch of water at her side and wriggled her fingers as a threat. Mo saw this action and sighed, dropping to one knee to be eye level with his daughter.

"Ok, little one. Looks like you're going to have to go with Katara for now, but I'll see you in a little while."

Lin pouted, "I want to go with you," she told him in a small voice.

"Later, ok?" he reasoned, gathering her into a bear hug. She squeezed him tightly and he grunted at her strength jokingly. "I'll see you later, little one."

Lin begrudgingly released him and stalked past Katara defiantly.

"Thank you," Katara acknowledged him gratefully.

With an annoyed scowl, Mo turned away from her, disappearing into the crowd as quickly as he had appeared.

In the past few months, Toph's days had been spent interviewing victims of bloodbending. Each of whom reported their encounters having taken place at new moon. Their stories were shocking, but Toph had become accustomed to them. In any event, there was more shocking news in store for the Chief of Police on the home front.

"Mo is in town."

"You're kidding?"

"He was at the kids' school today," Katara explained that evening, "he wanted to pick Lin up."

"A little late on that one," Toph grumbled, "Did she see him?"

Katara nodded, looked over her shoulder quickly, and turned back to Toph, "she's not speaking to me," she said in a whisper.

"Because she saw him?" Toph asked, having completely missed the nod.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. She saw him."

Toph's body wilted and her armor creaked in response. With a deep breath, she straightened and opened her mouth to shout, "Lin Beifong! Time to go!"

Lin came running into the room, wearing Sokka's old wolf helmet and brandishing a wooden sword.

"Mom! Guess what?"

"Your Dad came to school today?"

Lin nodded excitedly, causing the helmet to fall over her eyes, "Yeah! How did you know?" she asked, pushing it up again to see Katara standing at her side. "Oh."

"You ready to head home?" Toph asked.

"Yeah, hang on," she replied, slipping the helmet off. "Guys! My Mom is here!" she called into the other room.

In a matter of seconds Bumi swept into the room and grabbed the helmet from her, "Good! Now, I get to play the warrior!"

Lin stuck her tongue out at him as he made his exit, helmet in hand.

"Ok, baby girl. Let's hit it."

The journey home was a test of Toph's patience. Lin rambled on about her father and the afternoon's events breathlessly. She described how her father- the most wonderful human being of mythical proportions- wanted to pick her up from school and probably take her out to do amazing things around the city, but was thwarted by grouchy old Katara. Toph attempted to explain why Lin was unable to leave with him in as kind a way as possible, but somehow everything came out sounding inflammatory.

"Maybe he wanted to take me to Ba Sing Se!" Lin exclaimed happily as the girls turned onto their narrow street.

"Well, that's never going to happen," Toph commented.

"Why not?" Lin demanded.

"Because I won't let you and he would have no idea what to do with you once you got there," Toph replied, annoyed.

"Well, I want to go," Lin told her defiantly, yanking her hand from her mother's.

Toph rolled her eyes and walked on to their front gate, pushing it open as she felt the stomping feet of her daughter pass. She also felt two other pairs of feet through the earth and heard the owners of those feet, discussing something in heated tones.

At the front doorway of Toph's home stood the father of her child and Sokka. For a brief instant, Toph considered burrowing herself into the ground and tunneling under the house right past the mess that stood on her porch and into a nice, warm bath.

Before she could pursue her plans, she heard her daughter excitedly shout, "Dad!"

Mo leaned down and stretched his arms, ready to receive her affection. She readily sprang forward and he lifted her, planting a kiss on her temple.

"Inside, Lin," came Toph's stern voice as she approached.

"What?" Lin whined, still held aloft by her father.

"Mo, put her down so she can go inside," Toph instructed seriously.

Mo rolled his eyes and shifted Lin in his arms, "I'm here to see my kid, Toph. Not get bossed around."

"Put her down," Toph repeated through clenched teeth.

Sokka looked between them and stepped forward, "I'll take her so you two can talk."

Mo watched him a moment before sighing and setting Lin back down on the porch. He intended to stand his ground, but saw reason in keeping Lin from hearing the things that might be said between her parents.

"Go on, Lin. Let me talk to your Mom for a minute," he told her with a nod.

She gave him a pout, but obeyed him nonetheless. Sokka opened the door and glanced back at Toph, with a sympathetic look that went unseen before closing the door behind him.

After a minute of silence Toph finally spoke, "What the hell are you doing here all of the sudden?"

"I have an art show and-"

"And that is what motivates you to finally visit your daughter?"

"I've been busy," Mo returned.

Toph made no attempt to control her spiteful laugh, "Doing what exactly? Finger paints? Because you know what I've been busy doing? Raising our child by myself. I've been busy lying to her about how you can't be here even though you wish you could."

"I do wish I could!" Mo shouted, angrily.

"Then why aren't you?"

"Because I can't," Mo fired back quickly, "...because I don't know how."

Toph clicked her tongue in aggravation, "and you think I know how? Nobody knows how to be a parent Mo, they just do it. You can't spend all day examining the 'why and how' of everything. Life needs to be lived, kids need to be raised, you just fucking do it."

"You don't understand," he replied, under his breath.

"You're right. I don't understand how you can be so involved in your emotions that they cripple you," Toph spat condescendingly.

"And I don't understand how you can be so detached from yours," Mo countered passionately and for an instant he felt the spark of what originally brought them together charge the air between them.

"It got you Sokka, though, I see," he added, allowing the spark to fizzle.

"Don't change the subject," Toph ordered, "what are you doing here?"

"I want to take Lin to my art show tomorrow," he shrugged.

"No."

"What is wrong with that?"

"I don't trust you," Toph told him plainly, folding her arms across her chest, "you're too good at disappearing."

Mo laughed, "You're afraid I'm going to take her?"

Toph's head bowed curtly in affirmation.

"I'm not going to do that," he stated and she could feel his heart beating steadily as he spoke, "but if you're worried about it you can come."

"I'll think about it," she sighed finally.

Mo gave her nod and stepped off the porch, "I'll be by tomorrow around four?"

"I said I'll think about it," Toph repeated.

"Four it is," Mo replied as he walked toward the gate.

Toph grunted. As his footsteps began to fade from her perception, Toph turned the knob of the door with her bending to find Lin and Sokka in the living room playing Pai Sho. Lin shot up excitedly, but frowned when only her mother came into view.

"How did it go?" Sokka asked.

Toph sighed, feeling the anticipation churning inside her daughter through the flooring and in the air. She was angry with Mo, but she realized denying him was punishing Lin as well.

"How would you like to go to an art show tomorrow, baby girl?"

"Yes!" Lin exclaimed, dancing around happily. "Thank you, Mama!"

"Alright, alright," Toph exhaled with a faint smile, "let's get you fed, huh?"

Lin skipped into the kitchen with a lightness that had been absent from her for quite some time. As she disappeared around the corner, Toph made her way to Sokka, who stood. With so much going on, she realized she often took Sokka's steadying presence for granted. She wanted him to know how lucky she felt, how happy.

She reached out and found herself making contact with his chest. Her fingers slid upward along his neck, finally resting her palm on his jaw, "I just want to say thank you," she whispered.

His hand covered hers and he smiled softly, "For what?"

"For being so understanding...for taking care of her...of us. Just thanks for being you," she replied.

Sokka smiled wider, "I'm sorry. I thought I was talking to Toph Beifong..." he teased.

"Shut up, I can be sentimental when I want," she retorted, pushing against him.

Sokka laughed lightly, leaning down to press his lips to hers, "well, you're welcome."

True to his word, Mo arrived at four the next day. He was relieved to find Lin and Toph, alone and willing to join him. The gallery opened at five o'clock sharp and all kinds of people filed in and out, studying his paintings and sculptures critically. Toph was surprised by how much admiration she heard from the patrons, often extolling compliments and expressing their awe at his skill. She supposed that there may be something to the whole art thing after all, but she was not going to let Mo know that.

She stood on the sidelines most of the evening, allowing Lin to move between her and Mo as she pleased. She was at Toph's side quite often the longer the event went on, bored by the dry conversation her father was engaging in with various collectors.

Lin was elated to find the painting he dedicated to her, which was titled "Love at First Sight." The painting was not of Lin, but of Toph standing on a train platform with a slight bulge in her tunic. Her hand rested protectively on her stomach and the background blurred around her, giving the focal point of the painting prominence. Even Toph's features were skewed, but her stomach remained perfectly displayed. Mo knelt down and told Lin the story of the first time he ever laid eyes on her and how it changed his life forever.

When he finished his story, Lin asked, "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you come back to Republic City?"

Mo sighed, "There's nothing for me here," he told her, giving her head a solemn pat as he stood.

The evening went on quickly and many of the paintings had small red tags stuck along the bottom, indicating a sale by the end of the night. Lin was trying her hardest to stay awake, but her body betrayed her and her eyes drooped against her will.

"You're tired," Toph stated with a yawn as she rested one hand on Lin's head. Lin whimpered and let her head roll back, "No I'm not," she replied in a voice that bordered on crying.

"Oh yes, you are," Toph reaffirmed, noting the whine in Lin's tone. It was a tired whine, full of the days events and strains. "Hey, Mo. We're heading out."

Mo turned to see Lin whining incoherently and twisting the bottom of Toph's tunic in her hands. He walked toward them and dropped on one knee again to hug his crabby daughter.

"I'm glad you came," he told her.

"Are you going to be here tomorrow?"

"My train leaves at eleven," he explained as Lin's face soured even further, "but I'll stop by before, ok?"

"Promise?"

"Promise," he agreed giving her one last squeeze.

Toph shook her head skeptically, but said nothing.

"I'll see you two tomorrow then," Mo smiled as he stood.

"You better," Toph commented before turning to leave with a sleepy Lin at her side.

Lin was asleep before her head hit the pillow that night, but woke before the birds the following morning.

Breakfast came and went.

Lin decided to sit on the front porch to wait after eating, gathering a number of toy figurines and planting herself firmly outside. Around noon she came back into the house to check the time.

"Dad is late," she noted, sadly.

"His train left at eleven, kiddo. I don't think he's going to make it over," Toph told her, pushing the anger down as she spoke.

"He was probably in a hurry," Lin replied.

"Yeah, probably," Toph conceded hollowly.

Weeks later, a letter would arrive explaining that he had slept in and almost missed his train. It was a poor excuse, but it was his way. For now, however, Lin spent the remainder of Sunday waiting for a father that was never there to begin with.

Things seemed to settle a little Monday after the turmoil of the past weeks and Toph was relieved to find Lin her usual self at bending practice that morning. They ate breakfast and she did not mention her Dad at all. Toph dropped her off at school with a quick kiss and a smile, hoping Mo's behavior hadn't caused any real damage.

It hadn't, yet. Lin walked the halls of her school, firmly believing her father was not at fault for his absence. He was fate's victim; bad timing and worse luck were the only reasons he had for being away. If it were down to him, surely he would be here, dropping her off at school. For now, Lin would have to settle with the memory of this weekend and that was enough.

Well, it was enough until recess.

"Lin Beifong doesn't have a Dad," Karuna whispered loudly as Lin ran past, chasing Tenzin. She stopped in her tracks and spun around to face her schoolyard bully.

"Want to say that to my face?"

"You. Don't. Have. A. Dad." Karuna repeated, defiantly.

"Yes I do," Lin argued, stepping closer in an attempt to intimidate Karuna. Tenzin came running back and put his hands between them.

"Lin, don't listen to her," he reasoned, trying in vain to catch Lin's eye.

"My Mom told me that Councilman Sokka isn't your real Dad. She said you never had one because your Mom is so weird," Karuna maintained, sticking her tongue out in Lin's face.

Tenzin was speaking again, but Lin couldn't hear him.

She heard nothing.

But she could feel it all.

As if from nowhere, Lin Beifong could feel absolutely everything at once.

Penga knocked on the metal doors of Republic City's Chief of Police even more timidly than she usually did. She pushed the door inward gingerly to find Toph already on a phone call.

"Ok...ok...thanks. Bye," Toph finished, setting the phone back upon its gilded pedestal.

"What's up, Penga?" she asked.

"It's your daughter. Her school just called and they'd like for you to come pick her up," Penga reported.

"She's sick? She seemed fine this morning," Toph mused, standing.

"No, she's not sick. She's been suspended...for fighting."

"What? Ok, hold down the fort. I'll be back soon."

Toph's journey to Yu Dao Preparatory was quick, she was greeted by a secretary at the door who ushered her into the principal's office. She could feel her daughter here, sitting in a chair, slumped over and brooding. In the next chair, she felt the familiar heartbeat of Katara.

"Sugar Queen?" she asked curiously as she entered.

"Ah, Chief Beifong, please have a seat," the principal greeted. Toph nodded and found her space.

"Now," the principal spoke officially, "we're a little fuzzy on the details. Lin and Tenzin here can't seem to agree upon who hit Karuna over the head with a piece of playground equipment."

Toph's eyes widened, "Is she ok?"

"Karuna will be fine, but she did require stitches..." he answered.

"It was me," Tenzin's soft voice insisted from the opposite side of Katara, "I was using my airbending and a loose piece came off and accidentally hit her."

"Stop lying," Lin grumbled, "I did it."

"No she didn't," Tenzin interrupted, "How could she have? It was at least ten feet away and made of metal."

The strangest sensation of pride settled inside Toph's expanding chest as she discerned the truth.

"I bent the metal," Lin explained. Toph managed to suppress the grin that threatened to split her face in two.

"If you two can't get your stories straight, I have no choice but to suspend you both," the principal reminded with a sigh.

Tenzin looked at Katara apologetically, but kept his mouth closed. A moment passed before the principal finally handed down their sentencing. One week of suspension for acts of violence on school grounds. Katara's eyes looked as if they had been lit by the fire of Hades as they exited the office and the grip she had on Tenzin's bicep was tightening with every step they took.

"I guess I'll have to come up with some particularly awful chores for both of you," she growled, "and don't think for one second that you two will be spending any time together when we get back to the island!"

Toph nodded, "Good point. You know, I'll just take the rest of the afternoon off and take Lin home."

Katara paused, "Are you sure? Shouldn't you go back to work?"

Toph shrugged, "Ho-Tun can handle it. Besides, I need to give this delinquent a proper punishment."

"Ok then, it'll just be you and me, Tenzin," Katara told him, gripping his arm harder and dragging him out of the door.

"Bye Lin!" he winced.

"Bye," she sighed in return.

As the families parted ways at the gate, Toph turned to Lin curiously, "Care to tell me what really happened?"

Lin shrugged.

"Did you really metalbend something to hit that girl?"

Lin nodded, "Yeah." She tentatively looked up at her mother, surprised to find beaming from ear to ear.

"Are you...mad?" she asked finally.

"Yes," Toph replied, "Its wrong to hurt people, Lin...but on the other hand...it totally rocks that you can metalbend!" she finally burst.

Lin allowed herself to smile and Toph dipped to lift her daughter from the ground and swing her around once before planting her on solid ground again.

"I am so proud of you kid! You finally did it! I knew you could! You are a Beifong through and through! Same same! What did I tell you!?"

Lin watched her mother bashfully, "Am I being punished?"

"Hell no!" Toph replied, "You better tell everyone you were, but I'm actually just taking the afternoon off so we can practice! This is the greatest moment of my life."

Lin giggled.

In the end it was pain, turmoil, and stress that motivated Lin's bending, but it did not come from any place Toph could manufacture. When the girls arrived home, Toph placed a metal coin in Lin's hand and waited quietly.

Lin closed her eyes slowly, focusing.

The words repeated in her head, "You. Don't. Have. A. Dad."

The coin snapped in half.

Toph whooped in delight, but Lin's smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

She could feel it all now; the tiny granules of earth inside the metal, the earth beneath and behind her, the presence of her mother, but she felt the sharp pain of truth most keenly.

She felt it all now, and that feeling would never leave her.


	11. On Trial

The first frost of the year landed on Toph's birthday. The air was cold and bitter- the same could be said for the birthday girl, who had no intention of celebrating this year. With Yakone still a free man, it didn't seem appropriate to congratulate herself for allowing another year to pass without locking him away. The papers were beginning to run editorials questioning the capability of the police force, citing the issue of organized crime as their most glaring criticism.

Prosecuting him was not as simple as many citizens believed. There were dozens of witnesses and twice as many victims that readily gave the police their testimony over the past few years, but every single one ended up recanting. They blamed poor memory, coercion, and in several cases- bribery by the police for their previous statements. Those in the know understood their change of heart was not brought on by any of those things, but by a man called Han.

Han was Yakone's right hand man, his trump card. Blood bending was feared, but there was one thing worse than feeling your veins constrict and bubble: death. Han was a petty criminal before he met Yakone. He was not one to murder freely, or even at all, but he was drawn to the salary of a hit-man and so he became Yakone's death dealer. If any small time criminal or pimp neglected to save a bit of their earnings for the city's biggest crime boss, they found themselves on the receiving end of a blood bending. If they spoke to the police, their family members turned up dead. The deaths were apparent suicides, but all were filed under suspicious circumstances. It was Han's way of making sure nothing stuck and it never did.

The days became shorter, along with Toph's temper about it all and before she knew it her fortieth birthday was looming. Amongst all the frustration, she just wasn't in the mood for a party. Unfortunately, she was dating Sokka.

The morning of her birthday she woke to the scent of fresh lilies filling her nose and Lin, jumping on her bed.

"Happy Birthday, Mom!" she shouted as she bounced.

"Don't remind me," Toph grumbled, rolling onto her side and pulling the blankets over her head.

"But you're really old this time," Lin returned, as she continued to spring back and forth on either side of Toph's prostrated form.

"Oh gee, in that case- let's party," Toph deadpanned from under the blanket. Lin bounced one final time onto her knees and crawled over to Toph's head, pulling the blanket back.

"I made you a present," she whispered, just as Toph felt something cold and metal being placed into her hand. She felt the object carefully, discerning it was probably a tea cup.

"Thanks, baby," Toph smiled, looping one finger through the handle.

"I bent it myself," Lin told her, proudly. Toph nodded and ran her fingers across it, feeling some indentation along the side.

"What is this?" she asked, holding it out.

"It says, 'My Mom is the best Mom in the world, love Lin' on it," she beamed, reading the crudely engraved writing aloud.

Toph smiled widely and pulled Lin's face in close for a kiss, "Only because I have the coolest metalbending kid ever," she returned.

Sitting up, Toph set the cup on her nightstand, bumping a vase as she did. She sighed, "At least you didn't get me totally lame flowers."

"For which you are very welcome," came Sokka's most sarcastic voice from the doorway.

Toph shrugged and turned in his direction with a laugh, "Its not like I can even see them, dummy."

"But they smell nice," he offered, entering the room.

"Fair point," she conceded as she felt the weight of him dip the bed slightly. He leaned in, planting a chaste kiss on her lips much to Lin's horror.

"Ewww," she groaned.

Sokka rounded on her quickly, "You better watch it, or you'll get it too," he warned, playfully grabbing her and dotting her cheek with quick kisses as he tickled her sides.

Lin giggled in spite of herself, wiping her cheek with her forearm and feigning disgust. She rolled off the bed and hopped in place enthusiastically informing her mother that breakfast was fully prepared as well.

"I guess that makes up for the flowers," she noted.

"That's not all I got you," Sokka told her defensively, "Go out into the living room and pick up the phone."

Her curiosity piqued, Toph pushed the blankets all the way off and left her bed with a stretch. She made her way to the telephone, lifting the receiver and putting it to her ear. Nothing had changed.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Call someone," Sokka told her and she could tell from his voice that his smile was enormous. The corners of her lips turned up in response as she let her fingers fall to the dial, searching for the holes and finding none.

"What the hell did you do?"

"I modified it," he announced proudly, coming to her side. His hand covered her own and he guided her fingers gently over the raised buttons. "Each of these represents a number," he explained, "One bump for the number one, two for the number two and so on."

Her fingers grazed the numbers, identifying each clearly at her finger tips as her smile widened.

"Its not just the telephone," he said after a moment, "check out your clock!"

Toph crossed the room and reached down to touch the ticking clock that rested on a table beside the radio. The raised numbers dotted its face as the exposed clock hands wound around uniformly, stopping on the appropriate number.

"Its seven fourteen," she whispered as her hands ran across.

"It is!" Sokka confirmed, happily.

Toph turned to him, eyes glistening with unshed tears. For someone whose entire life had been a struggle to prove their independence, the simple ability to tell the time of day on her own felt like the greatest gift she'd ever been given.

"How did you come up with this?" Toph asked, sniffling lightly in an effort to hold her emotions at bay.

Sokka launched into a tale of his last trip around the Earth Kingdom, explaining that he had met a man in Omashu with a blind son. The man had taken to creating a code for his son, determined that the boy should function as his peers. He had coded the entire alphabet and showed Sokka around his small home, where the Councilman discovered every last inch covered in raised labels. Upon Sokka's return last spring, he began putting the same code into use, making labels for just about everything he could think of.

Last night, after waiting for Toph to fall asleep, he slipped out and woke Lin who assisted him in gluing the handcrafted labels around the house. Toph grinned and made her way into the kitchen, sliding her hands along every piece of furniture and feeling the tiny bumps on them.

"You're going to have to learn how to read it, but... I don't know... I thought it might be helpful," he finished.

Toph closed the space between them in two grateful strides, launching herself at him and kissing him full on the lips. Sokka's smile spread in response, so widely that it was only a few seconds before Toph was kissing his teeth.

She pulled back, "...thank you...just...I can't even think of what else to say."

"So you like it then?" he joked.

Toph nodded, "I love you."

"I love you too," he returned, pecking her lips happily.

"...are we going to eat or what?" Lin finally asked.

Toph's arms relaxed around his neck and her head turned in Lin's direction, "Give us a minute, Buzz Killington."

Lin rolled her eyes and filled her plate anyway, taking a seat at the table as her mother and Sokka continued to murmur against each others lips in the middle of the room.

The remainder of Toph's birthday was a mystery to her as they arrived at Air Temple Island to leave Lin in Katara's care. As soon as Toph stepped from the ferry she knew about the surprise party awaiting her at the top of the hill.

"A surprise party? Really?" she groaned, causing Sokka to shake his head in disbelief.

"I knew you would sense them," he mumbled, "but no, Katara had it all figured out..."

"I can feel Ho-Tun's enlarged heart, even through these leather soles," Toph confirmed, lifting one foot to wiggle before them.

"Try to act surprised at least?" Sokka pled.

Though Toph tried her best to act surprised when everyone in the house shouted it, none were convinced. Everyone laughed in retrospect about how difficult it would be to pull off, while Katara grumbled on the side that she figured Toph would think they were all Acolytes.

The party was a success, despite the rough start. The adults danced the day away, aided by the readily available alcohol and copious amounts of smoked and grilled meat. It was all smiles, though Aang did pause to comment that nearly everything currently taking place in his home was against his religion. It was a simple observation he used to further express his fondness for one of his oldest friends.

"Only for you, Toph," he beamed, then hastily added, "Or you, Sokka."

The sun set early as it always did in winter and as many of Toph's subordinates departed, several arrived marking the changing of their shifts. With the new guests, the party received a second wind and continued merrily until Katara began making anxious rounds, cleaning frantically as people left dishes lying about in their wake.

"I think the kids need to get to bed soon," she whispered to Aang, after he finished another demonstration of traditional Air Nomad dancing for a laughing crowd.

Though his first instinct was to encourage Katara to lighten up, he caught himself before verbalizing it. After fourteen years of marriage, Aang had learned a thing or two about holding his tongue in these situations. He gave her a reassuring nod and a soothing rub on the back before finding Sokka in the crowd.

"Mother hen is pecked," he said in a low voice, speaking in their code. Sokka nodded solidly and made his way to Toph. She was chatting, loudly, with some of her officers in colorful language that was earning her looks of rage from Katara. The men of the police force tended to speak in four-letter words in relaxed settings like these and they made no changes to their terminology to accommodate the ears of the youngsters among them.

At this particular moment, Officer Kato was regaling Toph and several others of an arrest he made earlier that day, "So, I'm looking at the perp and he sees me right across from him, and I shit you not- the mother fucker pisses his fucking pants. I'm thinking, 'are you fucking kidding me? Not so fucking tough now, are you, moron?'"

The group was in stitches, laughing to the point of near silence at his story as they held their sides and slapped their knees.

"Shut the fuck up," Toph finally choked out, wiping her eyes, "this is the kind of shit I miss on my days off!"

"Swear to the fucking spirits, Chief," Kato promised, raising his hand as seriously as he possibly could.

Over Kato's shoulder, Sokka could see his sister staring daggers at the red-faced policeman, the vein in her forehead threatening to throb right out of her skull. He gave her an a apologetic nod and put a hand on Toph's shoulder.

"You about ready to go?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm? Go where?"

"Somewhere more... alone-y," he replied suggestively.

Toph's eyebrow went up before returning her attention to her officers, "Ok nerds, I'm out of here."

A groan went through the group and the boys began hassling her, some chanting "drink" and others jokingly putting forth their resignations in protest. Toph waved her hand dismissively and shook her head.

"No, no. I understand you boneheads have nothing to do, but some of us are getting laid tonight," she laughed, sloshing the drink in her hand as she spoke.

Katara growled in exasperation, clearly hitting the maximum limit of drunk people in her home as she heard Toph's offhanded comment. Toph quickly remembered herself when she felt her daughter tugging at her pant leg. With a deprecating laugh she leaned forward to confide in her officers that she had, "completely forgot my kid was here, " before leaning down to address Lin.

"Mom? Are we leaving?" Lin asked.

"You're staying here, kiddo. You get to have a slumber party," she explained, cheeks glowing.

Lin crossed her arms, "I wanna go get laid with you and Sokka," she protested, obviously unaware of the meaning of her words. Toph reeled back, eyes wide. She couldn't think of how to respond and luckily she didn't have to- it was then that Katara finally burst.

"Ok! That's it! Everyone out!"

The room froze, turning to the matriarch as she moved to stand on a low table, "Everyone, its time to go. Thank you for coming, but its time to leave," Katara ordered from atop her stand, moving her arms in an ushering motion.

Lin looked confused and embarrassed, turning back to her mother to ask what she had said that was so wrong.

Toph crouched down to her level, "Nothing, baby girl. I said something wrong, not you," she assured her as Sokka stood to the side, rubbing his temples. "Now, go on. Why don't you go set up your sleeping bag."

Kya appeared at her side, helpfully tugging on Lin's hand, "Come on, sis. You can sleep in my room." Lin gave in, turning back to Toph for a hug and kiss, wishing her happy birthday before disappearing down the hallway with Kya.

The guests filed out, each clapping Toph on the shoulder or pausing for a quick hug before exiting the main house. Katara's body seemed to deflate with relief as the last officer stepped out, leaving her home a complete mess, but mercifully empty.

Silence stretched around the four old friends as they stood in the stillness of the living room.

"Heh. Sorry about that," Toph piped up after a moment.

Katara waved her hand dismissively, "No, don't worry about it. Its your birthday...I'll just have to explain to my children what cock blocking is, no big deal."

Toph shrugged, "What can I say? Room full of off-duty cops."

Katara nodded absently as she began to collect the dishes littering the room, Aang moved in, wrapping his arms around Toph, "Happy Birthday, Sifu."

"Thanks, Twinkletoes," she laughed.

Sokka and Toph departed just long enough after the last guests that they had a ferry all to themselves. There was little debate on where to head from here. Sokka's apartment was in one of the first skyscrapers built in the city, offering a view that Sokka delighted in- particularly in the evenings when the streets were lit and sparkling, but city haze left enough darkness for the stars to shine overhead. Toph wasn't much interested in the view, but the proximity to Air Temple Island held appeal alongside the lack of stuffed animals and crayons littering the bed.

The couple stumbled through the threshold wrapped in one another as they slowly staggered far enough inside to close the door. Toph broke away first, giving Sokka a playful look and moving to enter his bedroom. She meant to be coy, but her act was interrupted by a desk she hadn't been expecting. She ran into it with a bang and cursed loudly at the throbbing in her big toe.

"Where the hell did that come from?" she grumbled.

"Its always been there," Sokka returned with a light laugh at her indignity.

"You need stone floors," she countered, folding her ams across her chest and tapping a foot along the wooden ground.

"Can't see, huh?" he asked, taking a step toward her and gripping her elbows to pull her in an inch or two.

"Oh no," she began with a pained expression, "I forgot to mention that I'm blind?"

Sokka laughed again, slipping his hands down to either side of her waist as he moved in for a kiss, "Oh don't worry. You mentioned it once or twice... but here- let me help you."

Sokka lifted Toph from the ground in one swift motion, gripping her waist and then moving his hands to her thighs as her legs settled around his hips. He smiled when he caught a look of surprise cross her face briefly, satisfied that he managed to catch her unawares. Toph pulled herself close to him, leveraging her body with the hands she'd clasped behind his neck and kissed him deeply. Sokka kissed her back and walked toward the bedroom with the small weight of her in his arms.

Settling her back on his bed he climbed over her, marveling at her truly feminine form. It was such great irony that the tank in their group happened to be one of physically daintiest people he'd ever laid eyes on. Her appearance belied the power within, offering little clue to the raw force that so easily flowed from a curled pinky or a sliding foot. Her personality matched her power, though, and Sokka was quickly reminded of that as he was flipped onto his back.

Within an hour, they were spent. Between the alcohol and the age, they were lucky to make it this long, but the resting was just as nice even if Toph was beginning to drift.

Sokka's lids were heavy, but he watched her through the haze of exhaustion, smiling to himself when he remembered their first meeting. He must have laughed a little at the memory because Toph's eyes opened slightly.

"Hmm?" she wondered.

"I was just thinking about how much I wanted the Boulder to wipe the floor with you," he explained.

A sleepy smile crossed Toph's face at the recollection of her days as the Blind Bandit and she blew a raspberry at the man beside her in protest, "Nobody kicks my ass."

Sokka traced a soft line down the length of her arm, "That's true."

"Damn straight," she confirmed with a yawn.

"Did you ever think we would end up like this?" he asked after a moment of extended silence.

"Like what?" Toph ventured for clarification.

"Together," he explained.

"No," she replied simply.

"Me neither," he sighed, pulling her closer, "but I'm glad we did."

"Me too," she responded, kissing his shoulder lightly.

"Happy birthday, Toph."

They fell asleep this way, only to be startled awake a few hours later by the sound of a pounding fist against Sokka's front door. Sokka woke first, jostling Toph awake as he sat up in bed. He wiped his eyes and managed to read the time on the clock as 2:45. Toph followed suit, sitting up and gathering a breath so that she may yell at the offending knocker, but Sokka hushed her before she had a chance to shout.

"Stay here," he whispered, leaving the bed.

Toph rolled her eyes, "Oh, big strong man going to protect his little woman?" she patronized as she pulled on a robe and followed him into the main room. Sokka shook his head at her before leaning against the door and peeking through the small peephole in the door.

"Its Aang," he told her, sounding rather surprised. Sokka swung the door inward to reveal the Avatar.

"Thank goodness you're here," Aang said, looking relieved.

Toph moved forward quickly, "Is Lin ok?" she questioned hastily.

"Yeah," Aang confirmed, "She's fine- fast asleep. Its Han."

"Han?" Sokka wondered, confused.

Toph's heart sped up, "Han? As in Yakone's Han?"

Aang nodded, "He's down at headquarters. Wants to talk to you."

Toph looked as if she'd just won a gold medal, screaming triumphantly and throwing her hands in the air, "Yes! Who arrested him?"

"He turned himself in," Aang replied and Toph began to hop in place excitedly.

"I have to get dressed," she realized after a moment of celebration, kissing Sokka quickly before darting back toward the bedroom, hitting the desk again, and finally disappearing into the room happily. The men met eyes and laughed.

It was freezing outside, but Toph was undaunted by the chilling air. She fought to remove the smile from her face as she entered Headquarters. It was quieter than usual this time of night, but she could hear the cursing of some unfortunate down the hall in the holding cells echoing around the station.

"Where is he?" she asked aloud to no one in particular.

It was Ho-Tun that answered, "He's in the interrogation room now. Won't talk to anyone else," her captain explained as he picked up the pace beside her and they made their way down the hall.

"Not a problem," Toph quipped, fixing her face with a no-nonsense scowl that she saved for moments like these, "Just make sure you're recording."

Ho-Tun nodded quickly, leaving her side to run around the interrogation room and set the record spinning.

With a curl of her fingers the intricate metal design on the doors slid over one another, unlocking and splitting open to reveal Han sitting back in a chair alone in the interrogation room. Toph stepped inside and slammed her foot on the ground, causing the walls to crash back together loudly. It was meant to intimidate, but Han's heart remained steady and his body was still.

Toph took the seat across from him and waited a beat before speaking, "You wanted to speak to me?"

Han nodded, sitting forward in his seat, "I'm not wasting my time with anyone else."

"Why did you turn yourself in?"

"I'm here to strike a deal," he replied cooly, "I give you information on Yakone and in return you take the death penalty off the table."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you're desperate. Because none of your witnesses will testify as long as I'm free. Because I'm the best witness you're ever going to get," he explained.

"And why do you suddenly feel so helpful?" she returned.

Han sat back in his chair, flexing his fingers, opening and closing his hands slowly, "He blood bent me."

"And?"

"And we had a deal. He doesn't blood bend me, I take care of his dirty business."

"Which is...?" Toph led.

"I want your word. No death penalty and I'll talk. You know I'm not lying," he reminded her, setting his palms flat against the metal table.

"No death penalty," she confirmed. She might have talked this over with the Council or the Avatar, but she was fairly certain neither would have given her the authority to enforce such a penalty in the first place. She may be able to sniff out the truth, but Han didn't have to know when she was pulling one over on him.

"You have my word."

With a nod, Han began his lengthy tale. He told Toph about his humble beginnings. He listed each and every victim by name, giving details of their deaths including why they were ordered by his boss. He named Yakone over and over as the record spun, engraving each word with its needle. When he finished, the sun was up.

Toph stretched after she finished binding his hands. Ho-Tun entered on her cue and led Han to the cell that would become his temporary home. Penga was walking through the doors as she exited the interrogation room and her eyes bugged at the sight of Han being escorted in handcuffs.

"Penga," Toph began, "do me a favor and call a press conference for three o'clock."

"No problem, Chief. You going to announce Han's arrest?"

"No, we're going to have a lot of questions to answer after I arrest Yakone today."

Penga's eyes bugged further, but she simply nodded and ran down the hallway in her heels.

Officers criss-crossed the city, contacting the victims of Yakone's to speak to them about testifying. They all agreed to take the stand once they found that Han was behind bars. Their movements were kept as quiet as possible, careful not to alert Yakone to the new developments in the case against him.

Toph wanted it to be a surprise when she confronted him at lunch that day. Her body was exhausted, but her mind worked overtime. She called in her best officers to back her up, then had Ho-Tun and Officer Kato head up two separate teams that were placed in strategic points on the route to his jail cell, just incase Yakone put up a fight.

The sun was shining, but the air remained dry and cool that afternoon as Chief Beifong and her officers marched up the street to Yakone's favorite lunch spot. Han said he would be here, but there was one person in attendance Toph wasn't expecting.

"What are you doing here, Aang? I told you I have this under control."

The Avatar turned to her, "Under normal circumstances I wouldn't get involved," he began, "but if what those victims said is true we're not dealing with a normal criminal."

Toph relented, having to admit that if there was any kind of push back from Yakone, she could be in trouble.

"Fine," she sighed, waving him on, "follow me, Twinkletoes."

"Toph, I'm forty years old. Do you think you could stop with the nicknames?" he lamented as he followed her inside.

"Afraid not," she replied airily, as if she weren't about to arrest the most feared man since Firelord Ozai.

The restaurants owner, a cowardly man called Shu, saw Toph approaching through the front window. Quickly, he moved outside to deter her.

"Sorry, we are closed. We open again at five," he explained in a panic, taking in the crowd of officers and the Avatar.

"We aren't here to eat," Toph told him plainly, as one of her men held out a warrant.

They continued past Shu and into the empty restaurant, finding only one table occupied in the far corner. Yakone sat alone, save the thugs standing by his side for protection.

"It's over," Toph told him as she pointed one accusatory finger in his direction, "you're under arrest, Yakone."

The crime boss looked up at her, "What is Republic City coming to? It used to be a man could enjoy his lunch in peace."

Sufficiently annoyed by his attitude and eager to have him behind bars, Toph deployed one of her metal cables. It sailed across the room, wrapping Yakone's wrist tightly before Toph yanked it back, hard. The force of Yakone's body knocked the table forward and the large man stumbled toward them.

"What's the big idea?"

"We have dozens of witnesses, Yakone. We know what you are," Aang provided as Toph's officers moved to apply a set of handcuffs around Yakone's wrists.

"Take him away," Toph commanded.

Yakone chuckled derisively under his breath, "I've beaten every trumped up charge you yahoos have brought against me," he reminded them in his cockiest voice, "and I'll beat this one too."

Aang stayed with her all the way back to Headquarters. Their journey was without incident and they were able to usher Yakone into a holding cell without attracting the attention of the gathering journalists at the front doors by going around the back.

Sokka was waiting in her office when she and Aang walked through the doors.

"How did it go?"

"We arrested him," Toph said simply. That was about as much information that was allowed to pass between them on the matter. Her position as Police Chief and his as a member of the Council was precarious. He would be one vote on a panel deciding the fate of Yakone, should he go to trial this time. Any information Toph was privy to was not to be said outside the courtroom. They both understood this, but it was terribly inconvenient for their relationship.

The press conference got underway on time, but ran short. The reporters were still clamoring with unanswered questions when Toph left the steps and made her way back inside the building. The lack of sleep was finally catching up to her. She snuck out with Aang and Sokka, via sky bison, leaving Ho-Tun to field any lingering questions.

Aang landed Appa in Toph's front yard, explaining that he was happy to watch Lin at his place so that Toph could catch a few solid hours of sleep. She gratefully accepted, sliding off the bison and making her way to her bedroom with Sokka in tow. After sweeping the stuffed animals and crayons onto the floor Toph climbed in, breathing a sigh of relief as she finally rested her bones.

"You don't have to stay," she told Sokka with a yawn. He settled down next to her on the bed.

"I know, but I'm pretty tired myself," he replied. She knew he was lying. He was worried about her. Every other arrest of Yakone she'd made came with some kind of retaliation. She'd had a close call with Han on more than one occasion.

"Planning on getting lots of sleep?" she asked, drifting.

"Oh yeah," Sokka affirmed.

"Then why are you holding your sword?"

Sokka deflated, "How did you know?"

"I always know," she told him lightly as she rolled over to kiss his cheek gently, "but thank you."

The following months flew past in a blur. Toph's daily routine changed from working out of Headquarters to spending most days at City Hall. She stood stoically by as witnesses testified against Yakone. Each witness described a similar situation, the horrible feeling of blood bending and how they were still haunted by their experience. Their words sent a chill up her spine. She was the only one of the group to escape the wretched will of Hama in their war years. When the topic came up, they all went quiet. It was uncomfortable and terrifying even to this day.

Across the pillow one night Toph finally asked Sokka about his experience. He didn't answer immediately. There was a pause and when he finally spoke, his voice hitched as if he were overwhelmed by the memory.

"It was the single most terrifying thing that has ever happened to me," he explained. "When my village was attacked by the Fire Nation I was so scared, but I could move. I could run, I could act, I could shout. When Hama used her blood bending on me, there was nothing I could do. It was just this searing pain that seemed endless and I was helpless."

Toph reached out and touched his face softly, "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's ok," he assured as he gathered her hand in his own and pressed gentle lips to her rough fingers.

As fate would have it, Toph wouldn't have to remain curious about blood bending for very long. The day started off well enough. She sent Lin off to school without incident, checked in at Headquarters and made her way to City Hall. She was confident that the Council would condemn Yakone this afternoon. The defense was standing on nothing but the notion that blood bending was impossible outside of a full moon. It was a weak argument. The case against Yakone was overwhelming and there were a handful of benders known for pioneering bending sub-skills. Toph stood to the side, her presence a reminder of this flawed argument.

The Council called a recess after the closing arguments. It was thirty minutes long, exactly. Their decision was quick and it was unanimous. They filed back into the courtroom, each member taking their seat, except Sokka who remained standing to address the court.

"Councilman Sokka will now deliver the verdict," the bailiff informed the room.

Toph could sense his heartbeat, steady and sure.

"In my years, I have encountered people born with rare and unique bending abilities," he began seriously, "why, I once bested a man with my trusty boomerang who was able to firebend with his mind."

Toph had to resist rolling her eyes. This was by far one of Sokka's favorite tales of their war years and if he could find a way to work both his favorite thing in the world (his boomerang) and his defeat of Combustion Man into a conversation, he certainly would. Sure, it happened to be applicable in this case, but Toph was fairly certain Sokka was simply running down a list of things he loved.

"Why, even metalbending was considered impossible for all of history until our esteemed Chief of Police, Toph Beifong, single-handedly developed the skill," he continued.

This time it wasn't a roll of the eyes she fought, but the blush threatening to creep up her neck and color her cheeks. Ultimately, she managed to suppress her reaction and remain outwardly unaffected, but she decided she would have to give Sokka a good, hard punch for that comment and kiss him in equal measure.

"The overwhelming amount of testimony and evidence has convinced this Council that Yakone is one of these unique benders and he exploited his ability to commit these heinous crimes. We find Yakone guilty of all charges and sentence him to life in prison," Sokka stated with finality as he slammed the gavel down with conviction, officially ending the trial.

Toph's felt herself relax. It was finally over. She sensed the rest of the room, breathing a sigh of relief that rivaled her own and the small bounce of a crumpled ball of paper hitting the ground, thrown by Yakone's lawyer in petulant disappointment.

She went to take a step forward and felt as if both her boots had been filled with sand, weighing her down and making her sluggish. The sensation was alien to her and for a brief instant, she wondered if she were having a stroke. Before she could finish her thought, Toph heard a strangled cry from Sokka tear across the room confirming that what was happening to her, was happening to them both. This was blood bending. In less than a second she became aware that she was still able to move the rest of her body. With a gasp at her discovery, Toph deployed a metal cable in Yakone's direction. It fell short of contact and suddenly her entire body was engulfed in white hot agony.

Her blood changed course and every cell in her body screamed for it to stop. The pain was sharp in some places, dull in others- undulating throughout her body like a flag waving and snapping in a gale. She twitched and contorted, grunting as she felt her blood rush from one area to the next. Her fingers tingled as they pulled the keyring from Officer Kato's belt against her will. The blood swirled through her body, suddenly rushing upward and she could swear she were no longer on the ground at all.

It filled her head, her shoulders. It was swelling behind her eyes and fighting for space against her skull as all her other organs pled for a drop. The small of her back felt scorching hot as her kidneys were drained, and she could feel that there was a minimal, torturous amount pumping through her seizing heart, just to keep her conscious.

This is it, she thought.

Lin.

That name was the only thing keeping her from begging for death. She repeated it over and over again in her mind. If she stopped fighting now, today would be the last time she brushed her daughters hair. Today would be the last time she kissed her daughter's cheek. Today would be the last time she heard the sweetest sound in the world; Mom.

Death beckoned her, drawing her closer with each passing second until finally some of the blood rushed from her head and into her arm. She felt the tingle in her hand again as she slid the key into Yakone's handcuffs, turning it quickly with a pop that surely meant a broken wrist.

Lin.

That is when all the blood left her head, forcing its way back into her toes. The world spun. Unconsciousness overtook her as her limp body crumpled to the ground without ceremony.

"Race you to the dock," Bumi shouted when the ferry dock at the edge of Yue Bay came into view. Instantly, Lin and Tenzin took off behind him sprinting with all their might as their school bags banged against their sides. Kya gave her mother a desperate look upon their departure.

"See, they are all kids. I should be allowed to walk home with my friends," she argued, thrusting one hand in the direction of her siblings and Lin with indignation.

Katara laughed lightly patting her oldest child on the shoulder, "Kya, you are still a kid too."

"I'm twelve. That's how old Dad was when he defeated Firelord Ozai," she grumbled, crossing her arms, "and I'm not even allowed to walk home alone."

"Ok, ok. Dad and I will discuss it," Katara sighed, seeing her point.

There was a part of Katara that held out, loathe to watch her children grow and become independent. These were moments she loved, walking her children home after school each day, having them close. It would be a difficult adjustment. She looked toward the dock, spotting Bumi as he won their race, nearly slamming into one of the Acolytes, Ying. As Katara got closer, she began to notice the pained expression on the Ying's face, then she noticed the giant lump of fur off to the side. Appa stood along the water, saddled and attentive.

The women met eyes and Ying waved to Katara with an urgent hand. Katara's stomach sank, aware that today was the day Yakone would receive his judgement. Her pace quickened until she was in full sprint.

"What is it?" she shouted as she came closer.

"You are needed at the hospital," Ying told her.

"What happened?" Katara demanded. Ying looked at the children, indicating she'd rather not say in their presence.

"Avatar Aang phoned, he was very concerned that you be there as soon as possible," she replied cryptically.

"Mom? What's going on?" Tenzin wondered, looking sufficiently scared by their exchange. The children stood together, eyes wide, expressions solemn.

"You'd better take her," Ying told Katara as she placed a hand on Lin's shoulder and moved her forward, "I'll take the kids up to the house," Ying offered with a bow.

Katara nodded once, as Lin's head snapped back and forth between the two women.

"Why am I going?" she asked.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Let's get going," Katara insisted as evenly as possible as she took Lin's hand to steady her as she climbed onto Appa's back. Katara followed, taking a seat at the helm.

"Yip, yip."

Appa kicked off the ground and Lin looked over the saddle at her friends worriedly. She caught Tenzin's eye as they sailed skyward, distance shrinking her best friend and his comforting face in her perception.

By the time she lost sight of her friends entirely, the hospital was in view. Appa banked quickly, landing on the hospital's roof. Below, Lin could see the street teeming with reporters, looking very much like a colony of sparkling ants as their camera's snapped. Katara disembarked and assisted Lin, running toward the door.

It swung open as they approached, revealing the Avatar. Katara moved into his arms and he kissed her cheek.

"What happened?" she asked again. Aang pulled back from her and spotted Lin over her shoulder, looking downright terrified.

"Go downstairs. They will take you to Toph," he told her quietly, "I'll stay with Lin."

"Yakone...?" Katara questioned as she moved past him.

"...is no longer a bender," Aang finished for her as she disappeared down the stairwell.

Finally, he turned his attention to Toph's daughter who stood lamely on the rooftop. He dropped to one knee and waved her over. Lin did not hesitate to run to him, just as Katara had done. She was crying by the time she reached his arms.

"Shhh. It's okay," he whispered as he rubbed her back. "Your Mom was hurt pretty badly today," he explained, "but Katara is down there helping her get better right now, okay?"

Lin nodded against his shoulder, though the pit her stomach remained. Aang stood, dropping his hand for her to grab.

"Want to go see Sokka?" he asked, as cheerfully as possible. She nodded again, sliding her shirt sleeve under her nose.

Two flights of stairs led to a large room, filled with chairs and no people. Aang led Lin through this room and into a smaller one, finding Sokka speaking with a nurse.

"I'm sorry sir," the nurse was saying, "We can't let you back there just yet."

"Sokka," Aang said, announcing their presence. He spun around, looking immediately to Lin.

If she wasn't scared before, she certainly was now. Lin had never seen Sokka looking quite so weak or so worried. His eyes were a dull red, his cheeks were raw, and the pallor of his skin indicated his trauma nearly as well as the bandages that encircled his right arm. He moved toward them, reaching down to Lin with his left arm and lifting her just enough to place a kiss on her temple.

"Is my Mom going to die?" Lin asked, finally able to say her worst fear aloud.

"Your Mom?" Sokka repeated with a small chuckle, "Never."

"How did she get hurt?"

"A very bad man used some illegal bending to try and escape today," Sokka began to explain.

"Yakone used his blood bending on her?" Lin asked for confirmation. Sokka and Aang met eyes, momentarily surprised by her knowledge of the situation.

"She's really got to stop having you read those police reports to her," Sokka grumbled, shaking his head in disapproval.

"I want to see her," Lin stated with certainty. Now that she was informed the fear was beginning to subside. It occurred to her that if she spoke calmly and directly, adults seemed more apt to listen.

"We can't right now," Sokka told her, "but we can wait out here. We'll be able to see her when Katara is done healing her."

Lin relented with disappointment but understanding. She followed Sokka and Aang back out into the large room with the chairs and laid across two with her head in Sokka's lap. Patience wasn't one of her strongest areas, but when she began to fidget or feel the urge to whine, she heard Toph's voice clearly in her head reminding her to, "listen and wait."

So, she did.

The first thing she heard after an hour of listening was the sound of the double doors swinging out, revealing an exhausted but happy Katara.

"She's going to be fine," she announced from the doorway. Aang's head dipped back in relief as his smile spread and Sokka let out a breath he'd been holding for what seemed like years.

Lin stood, eager to see for herself, "Let's go."

"She's not awake yet," Katara explained, delicately.

Sokka stood as well, coming to Lin's side and picking up her hand, "Come on, I'll take you back."

When they moved forward Katara reached out to grip Sokka's good arm, "Let me look you over."

Sokka waved her off, "I'll be fine."

Her eyes pled with him, but he continued down the hall with Lin's hand in his to find Toph's room.

Sokka opened the door slowly, careful not to disturb Toph's resting body. Lin had other ideas. She ran toward her mother, slamming against the side of the bed and gripping her arm.

"Mom! Mom!" she cried as she shook Toph's arm insistently.

"Shhh. Careful, Lin," Sokka instructed in a hushed voice. Lin turned to him with frustration written across her face. The moment she did, Toph's eyes shot open and her arm struck out with a scream that rose from the depths of her body. Her thrusting fist missed her daughter's face by a millimeter and a section of the hospital floor broke open and rose in response to her command.

Sokka leapt forward, pulling Lin back quickly from the line of fire as bits of stone flooring came falling back to the ground. He spun her around, placing her behind his body protectively before he reached out and gripped Toph's arm.

"Toph, stop. You're safe," he told her.

Her chest was heaving and she didn't seem to process his words because another chunk of floor rose violently as her fingers curled.

"It's me," he told her, reaching across her body to grip her shoulder, "Baby, stop. It's me."

She heard him then, dipping her head which fell heavy with medication. He caught her chin in his hand and lifted her face delicately, pressing his forehead against hers. Toph tentatively reached one hand up and placed it on his cheek, her fingers gliding across his features as she began to sob.

"Sokka?" she managed to choke out, "He got away."

"No, no," Sokka assured in a whisper, "Aang stopped him. His bending is gone. You're safe."

Her feet moved slightly, her toes wrapping around the soft sheets, "Where am I?"

"The hospital."

"Where is Lin?"

Lin ran forward, pushing herself between them and wrapping her arms around Toph tightly. She winced from the pain, but felt a sense of peace when she registered her daughter's touch. Toph kissed her head as tears poured from her eyes.

"Stop crying," Lin whispered. It unnerved her to see her powerful and indestructible mother looking so frail.

"They're happy tears, baby girl," Toph sighed with a hint of laughter, "just happy tears."

Lin looked up at her, but noticed Sokka's eyes were brimming with moisture as well. He pressed his lips to Toph's temple, closing his eyes, overwhelmed by relief.

"I love you so much," he murmured against her skin as the worry drained from his body.

Toph smiled, "Are you crying?"

Sokka straightened out, "Hey. Men are allowed to have happy tears."

Toph laughed, "Lin. Can you tell me if I'm doing this right?" she asked as she pointed one finger at her rolling eyes.

"You got it," Lin confirmed. The three of them laughed on the hospital bed, safe and together.

Toph remained in the hospital for nearly a week. The doctors and healers were concerned that her blood bending could result in delayed organ failure or even an aneurysm. She was kept under close watch for days, though her strength and humor returned almost as quickly as her need to get up and go. She was becoming stir crazy in that small room, but her absence did give Sokka plenty of time alone with Lin to talk over an important issue.

The day of her release Aang landed on the roof of the hospital on Appa's back. He offered his sky bison services to the recovering Chief of Police so that she may avoid the photographers stationed outside the front doors. She graciously accepted his offer, though she took issue with the lack of attendees at her release party.

"Nice of one of you to show up," she grumbled as Aang helped her onto Appa's back.

"Sokka's pretty tied up with work," Aang defended, "but he said he'll be over right after his meeting."

"Yeah, yeah. And my own kid," Toph growled. Aang smiled to himself, but said nothing.

"Yip yip!"

When they landed before her house minutes later, Toph brushed his offer for assistance aside and slid off Appa on her own. The door to her home swung open and Lin came bounding out, unable to contain her excitement.

"Mom!" she shouted, running straight into her arms.

"Hey punk," she greeted Lin, stepping forward with one arm around her shoulder.

"Come inside!" Lin insisted, pulling away from her embrace and tugging on her hand, "Hurry!"

"Oh man," Toph sighed, "not another surprise."

She allowed Lin to lead her into the house, stepping through the doorway only to be assaulted by the familiar scent of flowers.

"Again?" she asked with as much sarcasm as she could muster, "it smells like a rosebush sharted in here."

She heard Sokka's laugh in the hallway, "Ladies and Gentlemen," he announced to a nearly empty room, "the comedic stylings of my future wife."

Toph guffawed, "I've told you before I'm not into fl-"

Her sentence ended sharply, cut in half by realization, "Your what?"

"Only if you want, of course," he replied, stepping toward her. He reached forward to take her hand, carefully placing a small stone in her palm, ribbons hanging from either side. Toph ran her thumb over the stone, which was engraved with a design she could never fully appreciate. Her fingers curled around the stone.

"Toph," Sokka began, "I know we haven't really talked about it, but I've been thinking about this for a long time and-"

"This is becoming a habit," Toph remarked, cutting him short.

"What?"

"Me asking you what the hell took so long," she told him, a smile spreading across her face. It was the question she asked after their first kiss, over three years ago. He recognized the joke and smiled in response.

"Mom," Lin groaned from somewhere below, "you're supposed to say yes or no."

"That's a yes," Sokka confirmed without taking his eyes off his fiancee.

"Damn right," Toph agreed as Sokka leaned in for a kiss. Lin hopped and hollered in celebration just as they broke apart. Sokka drew Toph into a hug, resting his chin on her head happily before opening his eyes again.

"Don't look at me like that," he commented.

"I'm not looking at you like anything, I'm blind," Toph retorted.

"Not you," Sokka sighed, "Aang."

Over Toph's shoulder, the Avatar stood in the doorway with joyful hands clasped together, smiling blissfully like a child on Christmas morning. Sokka laughed at his teary eyes and pulled back, carefully taking the betrothal necklace from Toph's hand.

Brushing the stray hairs from her neck he clasped the ribbons together behind her, leaning in to place a small kiss on her lips, "I love you."

"You are such a lady."


	12. Mr. Beifong

Months ago at the kitchen table, while her mother lay in a hospital bed recovering from blood bending trauma, Lin was asked an important question. It was a question Sokka had been considering for quite some time, but felt suddenly driven to ask now that he'd come so perilously close to losing his best friend and love.

"Hey Bones," he began casually as he guided a few noodles from the frying pan onto her plate, "what do you think about this?"

Lin looked up from the "get well" card she had been illustrating curiously, "about what?"

"This," Sokka replied, indicating the space between them. When Lin continued to watch him absently, he elaborated, "I mean about having me around more often."

Lin's eyes darted back and forth suspiciously, "Why?"

Sokka made his way to the table, placing the plate before her and taking a seat beside, "I was thinking about asking your Mom to marry me."

Lin's eyes bulged, "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

A moment passed before Lin's face split into a grin, "I thought you were going to say something awful."

"...meaning that your Mom and I getting married is... not awful?"

Lin's head shook vigorously, dark curls swinging in her face. Without verbal confirmation, she went back to working on her card with the unparalleled concentration of a girl unaffected by irony. Sokka sat back in his chair, confused.

"Ok. Just to be clear-"

"You can marry my Mom, Sokka," Lin interrupted helpfully. She smiled impishly at him and Sokka smiled back, concluding that her nonchalance was typical of children at this age.

In the beginning, Lin went between not thinking much about it and being overjoyed by the prospect of participating in an actual wedding. When her mother accepted Sokka's proposal Lin was thrilled by the small celebration that followed, complete with ice cream and unenforced bedtime. It appeared that this kind of a change was one she would welcome readily. That was back when she was an idealistic eight year old. Today, as a hardened and wise nine year old, Lin saw things a bit differently.

Since their engagement, she spent more time at Air Temple Island than she had collectively in her entire life. "Busy" is the word they used to appease her when Lin would comment about the absence of her mother, "she's just busy."

Toph was busy, though. Wedding planning became a second job, one that Toph longed to quit. Originally, she figured that because she was so low-maintanence the ceremony would be casual and easy to plan, but once she got to the guest list her dreams of simplicity were shattered. She was marrying a political figure and though she felt entirely comfortable leaving far-flung relatives and associates off the guest list, Sokka felt otherwise. He appealed to her practical side in these matters, explaining the political ramifications of neglecting to invite some Fire Nation Ambassador she'd never heard of to an event the Firelord would be attending. It seemed for every person she agreed to invite came a new complication.

Apparently, these finicky strangers would be loathe to sit next to political rivals and Sokka was very cautious about these things. Toph's philosophy was of course to put them all at a table together and watch the fireworks ensue- if they were going to complicate her wedding this much, she might as well get a bit of entertainment value for the inconvenience.

Along with political issues came emotional ones. The invitation to Mr. and Mrs. Lao Beifong was the very last to go out. Their invitation was debated at length and Sokka was surprised that many of these talks ended with Toph bursting into tears and insisting that he leave her alone for awhile. Eventually, she conceded that she ought to invite them at the very least, but she constantly reminded him that, "they probably won't even come, so don't take it personally." Sokka was fairly certain that she said these words aloud to steel herself against a let-down, rather than to prepare him for one.

While Toph felt anxious about reuniting with her parents, Sokka was chomping at the bit to get see his father, Hakoda, who had moved back to the Southern Water Tribe village after the war ended. Sokka devised a plan to take a trip down south and travel back with his father, enjoying some ice-fishing and loads of quality father-son time as they made their way back to Republic City for the wedding together. With Sokka absent and Toph busier than usual, Lin had somehow been lost in the shuffle.

Lin was beginning to fear that she was being gradually acclimatized to living on the Island full time. She enjoyed the Avatar's home; it was full of adventures waiting to happen and three of her closest friends, but it was also the setting for a strict bedtime (radio off!), vegetarian dinners, and punishments for the use of foul language. It was a poor replacement for her own home which she began missing terribly.

Two weeks before the wedding, Lin had been left in Aang and Katara's care for three consecutive days. Toph had been particularly swamped at work, attempting to deter the multitude of men who were jockeying for control of the vice in Republic City now that Yakone was behind bars. The first night she worked late, the second she organized a raid on one of the front-runners to fill Yakone's shoes, the third she simply requested to leave Lin in their care so that she could get some much needed sleep. All these reasons were legitimate and tied to work, but Lin related them only to her mother's engagement.

Lin mentioned her resentful feelings to Tenzin alone and it was one of these conversations that was interrupted by the sound of metal boots marching up the hill to the main house. Lin's heart soared at the sound of her mother's arrival.

"My Mom is here," Lin announced suddenly, hopping off of the small stone wall she sat upon with Tenzin, "I've got to go."

She swiftly made her way across the courtyard, anticipating the comfort of her mother's arms as she turned the corner to find Toph's familiar figure in conversation with Katara along the main pathway. She steadied herself for their reunion, preparing to spend an evening practicing earthbending, eating spicy noodles together, and staying up late to listen to her favorite radio program when she heard her name and sprang quickly back behind a bush to eavesdrop.

"Has Lin given you any trouble?" Toph asked.

"No, she's perfectly fine. You know you can leave her here whenever you need," Katara offered.

"Don't tempt me," Toph joked.

Lin's heart sank, the excitement that had previously been vibrating within her veins drained suddenly, leaving a heavy feeling in her stomach and a frown across her face.

"You've been busy," Katara excused, sympathetically. Behind the bush, Lin did not feel quite so forgiving.

"I know. This wedding stuff is for the birds," Toph sighed, stretching as if to clear away exhaustion, "and so is the legal system. I'm about ready to toss all of these Yakone wannabes into cell and throw away the key, no questions, no trials, no appeals."

"Sounds like they are giving you hell," Katara laughed.

"Yep. Speaking of which, where is my little hellraiser?"

Lin jumped, knowing that Toph would have already located her by the end of that sentence.

"Lin?" she heard her mothers voice ask as the Chief made her way to the bush that disguised her presence.

"Hi Mom," Lin greeted her casually, turning the corner as if she'd just arrived at the scene.

"Come here, stranger," Toph directed her with open arms. Lin obliged, sidling up to her with an air of reluctance, leaning into Toph with her shoulder rather than returning her hug. When Toph pulled back, she left her hand in place on her daughter's shoulder.

"You excited to sleep in your own bed for once?" Toph asked jokingly.

Lin shrugged, "Not really. I don't even remember what it feels like."

Toph let out a laugh, unable to fully grasp the underlying resentment in her remark without seeing the way in which Lin pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. The non-verbals were not lost on Katara, who lifted her own eyebrows at the little girl's comment.

With a faint smile, Toph turned her attention back to Katara, "Well, I guess we're going to hit the road then. Thanks again, I owe you guys big time."

Katara returned her smile with a shake of her head, "You don't owe us anything. Family is family."

Toph gave another appreciative nod and stuck her hand out, "Come on, kid."

After a moment of hesitation, Lin placed her own hand in her mother's palm, deciding that grudging her mother was not worth the effort or the time. Time was important to Lin, considering it was one commodity her mother no longer had to give. Sokka would be returning soon and Lin realized that she should take advantage of these fleeting moments alone with her mother while she had them.

"Did you miss me?" Toph questioned with a playful nudge as the two girls stepped from the ferry into the bustling city.

Lin shrugged again, unwilling to give her mother the satisfaction of knowing the truth. Toph prodded her again with an elbow after a beat of silence, "Eh?"

"I won't miss meditation," Lin offered finally.

"Oooh," Toph replied as if watching someone take a particularly nasty punch, "sounds rough."

"Did you know they meditate every morning?" Lin asked incredulously.

Toph pulled a face.

"...before breakfast!" Lin added, easing up a bit. She'd been dying for someone, other than Bumi, to understand where she was coming from on this issue. Meditation was boring in the best of circumstances, but it was absolutely unbearable on an empty stomach.

"How could I leave my child in such a hellish place!?" Toph bellowed, sarcastically dramatic.

"I'm serious," Lin insisted, though she said it with a hint of laughter at her mother's declaration.

"I am too," Toph assured, "meditation sucks. Blegh!" She finished, sticking her tongue out for effect.

"And they have a radio curfew," Lin continued to explain as if describing the unfamiliar and terrifying customs of a foreign culture,"I haven't listened to 'Rise of the Shogun' in three days!"

Toph shook her head in pity. 'Rise of the Shogun' was more than a late night radio program in the Beifong home, it was a ritual as highly regarded as praying at temple was in other families.

"You missed some good ones," Toph sighed, confirming Lin's worst fears, "but luckily for you last night's installment was taken directly from real life! My life!"

Lin's eyes widened and her ears perked up, she finally quit fighting the smile that had been tugging at the corners of her mouth since she'd been reunited with her mother. It spread across her face as she listened to Toph explain how last night's program was based on the time she and her friends fought the Dai Li to gain access to the Earth King. Toph described the event in vivid detail as they walked, noting the sounds and vibrations of their battle in a way that only another earthbender could fully appreciate. This is what Lin had been missing; her Mom, her hero, her one stop shop for endless entertainment.

Lin listened to Toph with rapt attention, asking questions when she couldn't contain her curiosity, until Toph turned left on the wrong street.

"Wrong way," Lin provided, pulling on her mother's hand.

"No, no. We've got to stop by Sokka's place and pick up his mail," she explained, tugging Lin along again.

Arriving at his apartment door, Toph realized she'd completely forgotten the key on her desk at work. After a moment, the shoulder piece of her armor clicked loudly and detached itself from her body. She slid the meteor bracelet down her arm and compressed it in the palm of her hand.

"You never saw this," Toph whispered conspiratorially to her daughter, "I am a responsible adult...now go be a look-out and make sure nobody sees me breaking in, will you?"

Lin nodded and ran down the hallway to the stairwell, glancing between it and her mother as Toph wriggled the makeshift key inside Sokka's lock. It only took a minute of finagling before the lock clicked and the door swung inward. Lin ran back down the hall to join her mother.

"Ok, if you were a pile of mail, where would you be?" Toph asked as she stood alongside a pile of mail.

"Right here," Lin replied, guiding her mother's hand to the letters that sat in a bin beside the door, "He's got a mail slot."

"Well, that was easy."

Lin walked into the room a bit further, having only been in Sokka's apartment a handful of times she recalled always being rather taken by the view. She made her way through a sea of boxes before reaching the curtains of a large window and tugging them to one side.

Republic City stretched out before her, the setting sun glinted off the shining towers creating a sparkling streak of light along the water. Her eyes adjusted to the image, fading the reflection of the living room full of boxes into the background.

"Wait a second," Lin gasped as she turned to face her mother, "why is all of Sokka's stuff packed up?"

"For when he moves into our house," Toph returned plainly.

"But..." Lin protested, looking around the room as her stomach dropped out, "but why doesn't he just stay here?"

"Why would two married people live in different places?" Toph countered logically.

"You and Dad did," Lin argued.

Toph let out an amused laugh, "Your Dad and I were never married, kiddo."

"Yes, you were."

"Nope."

Lin looked around, confused. The children in her class were right. All of those times Lin had righteously countered their accusations against her mother, they had been telling the truth. Her feelings went from nervous to obstinate to downright upset in the span of thirty seconds as she considered all this new information. The things they said were so terribly against convention, it never occurred to her that they could be right. She knew her mother was not a typical woman, but she never suspected that her own family was quite so scandalous. It was embarrassing.

"Karuna was right and I was wrong," Lin muttered as tears welled in her eyes.

"Huh?" Toph asked, noting the bitterness in her daughter's tone.

"The kids at school have always made fun of me saying that you and Dad were never married and they were right this whole time!" Lin shouted in disgust, sobbing finally as she completed her sentence.

Toph stood across the room from her, heart sinking. Instantly she was reminded of her father's warning, "...think of what people will say- how they will treat her..." Toph was a strong person, practiced in the art of letting cruel comments and offhanded judgements roll off her back, but when it came to her baby all of that went out the window. She blinked back her own tears and pushed down the rage that bubbled inside of her at the thought of some entitled brat teasing her daughter as she made her way to Lin.

She bent at the waist and took Lin's face in her hand, "Look at me, baby girl."

Lin sniffled, wiping at her eyes futilely as tears continued to spill out.

"Who is making fun of you?"

"Everyone," Lin croaked.

"They say this stuff because your Dad and I weren't married?" She asked solidly.

Lin nodded, "and because Dad left, and because you're blind, and because my clothes don't match..." she sobbed, rattling off a list far longer than Toph would have ever anticipated. The length of it coupled with her own faults being so well-represented caused her eyes to tear up again and several insistent drops streaked down her face.

"I'm sorry, baby," Toph began, drawing her in to hug her tightly, "but you know what? I've dealt with people like that my whole life and the only thing to do is ignore them."

She offered this peaceful advice, though her mind silently suggested several violent alternatives.

"I can't ignore them," Lin groaned in a ragged breath, attempting to control her tears.

"I know, baby, I know..." Toph sighed, "But listen- the best thing you can do is act like you're ignoring them. Don't give them the satisfaction of knowing it's getting to you. You know why? You're better than that. You're better than them! You're better than that stupid little Karuna- who you will be happy to know- has an awful family."

"Really?"

"The worst," Toph confirmed, "Her Mom is a chronic shoplifter and her Dad... well... you know what? It doesn't matter. The best thing you can do is ignore her and prove that no matter what anyone says about you- you will rise above it!" Toph pushed her back slightly so that Lin could see her serious expression, "The best revenge is success."

Lin wiped her nose and realized for the first time that this expression was probably the driving force behind her mother's entire existence.

"That's what you did?" she asked meekly.

"You bet your ass," Toph confirmed, "And do you ever see anyone messing with your Mom?"

Lin shook her head, finally cracking a smile, "No."

Toph pulled her in again, kissing Lin's head quickly, "You're going to do the same, Lin. You got me?"

"Same, same," Lin agreed with a sniffle.

Toph smiled lightly, reaching down to run her hand across Lin's face, clearing the tears with her rough fingers, "Good. Now, how about we head home and make some instant noodles, get in some metalbending practice in time to catch the next episode of 'Rise of the Shogun?"

Lin nodded, wiping her running nose, "Okay."

Lin neglected to let go of her mother's waist for the remaineder of their walk, preferring to have her close as long as she could. She may be unconventional, but she was hers, at least for now.

Metalbending practice was a chance for Lin to show her mother some new techniques she'd picked up by practicing with Aang. Toph sent one of her cables flying toward Lin, only to feel her disappear from the landscape entirely. The cable reached the end of it's length and fell limply to the ground. Toph's heart skipped a beat nervously, "Lin?"

She heard a giggle from somewhere above.

"Lin? What did you do?"

Suspended by her practice cables, Lin hung from a tree branch- dangling just out of her mother's attack zone, "This is my version of airbending!"

"What the hell?" Toph asked again, confused. Lin tugged on the branch, swinging lightly and causing a few leaves to fall onto Toph's head. She brushed them away as they hit her, laughing heartily.

"Clever girl," she commented before sending a rumble through the earth that shook the tree so violently that the branch Lin held onto snapped. Lin crashed to the ground, which she made sure was soft an accommodating by the time she made impact.

"You're already inventing new techniques," Toph cheered, "Suck on that, Karuna."

"Yeah, suck it!" Lin returned happily.

Toph held her hand out for a high-five and felt a slap instantly, "Okay. Let's get something to eat."

After their sparring session the girls entered the house, ready to clean up. Lin was first in line for a bath, washing herself off as quickly as possible so as not to miss another moment with her Mom. Just as she stepped from the bath and wrapped herself in a warm towel, the phone rang.

From inside the bathroom she heard her mother's angry voice, barely muffled by the walls. She cautiously opened the door and made her way into the living room where Toph was barking orders into the phone.

"Call in all available officers. Block off the roads and alert the authorities in Makapu. Freeze the outgoing trains. I want Kato working on getting all of his contacts into Headquarters- And for fucks' sake you'd better personally be standing at Han's cell when I get there. Get an alert on the radio ASAP. I will be in soon. Yeah. Bye."

Toph slammed the phone down with a grunt.

"Mom?"

"Get dressed, kid."

"Why? Do you have to go?"

"I said get dressed!" Toph snapped. Lin bowed her head sheepishly, turning back toward her room as she was told. She dressed slowly, dreading what she knew was coming next.

"I'm sorry," Toph apologized in a sigh from the doorway. Lin turned to find her mother looking regretful, "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Lin shrugged, but said nothing as she pulled her nightgown on, "Are you taking me back to Air Temple Island?"

"Yep."

Lin sighed dejectedly, "What happened?"

"Yakone escaped," Toph replied and Lin's head shot up.

"Is he coming here?"

"Not if he knows what's good for him," Toph returned, grinding a fist against her open palm. She could feel Lin's erratic heart beating through the floor, "don't worry, Aang took his bending away, he's harmless."

Her words of assurance did little to calm Lin's racing pulse as images of her mother cold and still in a hospital bed came rushing to the forefront of her mind.

Do you ever see anyone messing with your Mom?

No, Lin thought, but I've seen the aftermath.

Lin lunged forward, wrapping her arms around her mother.

"Let's get going, kiddo. If we're lucky I will be back in time for Shogun," Toph offered hopefully.

The two earthbenders stepped from the ferry and made their way up the hill. The temperature dipped momentarily as Appa flew over them, landing in their path just before the main house. Aang disembarked on a breeze, looking serious.

"I've already been to some of his old haunts," he began without hesitation, "no sign of him yet."

Toph nodded, "Thanks."

"Hop on, I'll take you to the station. The press beat you there," he explained sympathetically and Toph's entire body sagged. In her career, securing Yakone had been her greatest personal triumph -her critics had been silenced and the citizens of Republic City, relieved. In his escape, Yakone had turned the tables, his freedom latching shackles around the ankles of the woman who had publicly guaranteed his removal from society. It was the best possible revenge for his entrapment, but she wondered if he would be satisfied to stop there.

Behind Aang the sound of a door sliding open caught their attention. Katara appeared in the doorway, closing it behind her quietly.

"Any luck?" she asked, imploring her husband with hopeful eyes.

A quick shake of his head effectively dashed her cautious optimism. Her eyes travelled to Lin, who stood quietly beside her mother in a nightgown.

"Have you eaten yet?" she asked.

"She hasn't," Toph answered, placing one hand on the crown of Lin's head, "but can you do me a favor and let this little punk stay up and listen to 'Rise of the Shogun' if I don't make it back in time?"

"Of course," Katara agreed diplomatically.

"We'd better get going," Aang interjected, turning quickly to kiss Katara's cheek.

"Please be careful," she sighed.

"Always," he smiled, but Katara glanced past him pointedly at Toph.

"Let's get you inside," Katara called to Lin with a reassuring smile. Toph kissed Lin's damp hair once before boarding the sky bison. There was a pit in Lin's stomach as she moved away from her mother's arms and toward the house. As she passed, Aang bowed down, "Don't worry- I'll take care of your Mom," he assured with a wink.

Toph turned in Appa's saddle and scoffed, "Oh please, Twinkletoes. I'll take care of you. You're lucky I'm letting you ride along with us big kids."

"Said the disgruntled Chief with no transport to the Avatar with a flying bison," Aang countered chidingly as he spun himself back up to the helm of his bison.

"Pulling the Avatar card? That all you got?" Toph challenged as Appa kicked off. Aang's teasing reply was lost as they ascended into the clouds, leaving Katara and Lin standing in the courtyard.

Katara placed a guiding hand on Lin's shoulder and led her inside. Over her shoulder, Lin saw a few men in blue and white robes closing the space behind them, forming a human wall around the house.

The mood inside was quite a departure from the dreadful gloom of the outside world. Lin and Katara made their way to the warm kitchen to find Kya's nose in a book as Bumi flicked peas at his younger brother with startling accuracy. Against the wall stood another one of the men in blue and white, a stoic outsider with a lotus insignia on his helmet.

"Beifong?" Bumi exclaimed after launching one last pea across the table, "don't you ever go home?"

Katara opened her mouth to chastise him just as the pea spun in the air and changed direction, snapping against Bumi's right eye.

"Tenzin!" Katara shouted.

"He's been throwing them at me since you left!" Tenzin insisted hotly.

"Both of you- off to your rooms. Now," she ordered.

"I haven't even finished eating," Bumi argued, rubbing his wounded eye.

"If you were hungry you would have found a better use for those," Katara returned, pointing at the peas that littered the table and floor around Tenzin's seat.

"Off you go," she repeated.

The boys stood, defeated and annoyed. The stoic man took a step forward and made eyes with Katara, who gave him a barely perceptible nod.

Tenzin grabbed a glass of water from the counter as he attempted to make his exit.

"Don't take that," Katara admonished him anxiously. He looked up, confused.

"We can't even have something to drink?" he wondered incredulously.

"No..." Katara corrected, "Of course you can. I'll go get some more from the well."

"But, this isn't anybody's water," Tenzin observed, "it's just sitting here."

"Oh, just take it," Katara snapped, searching the cupboards for a bucket. Tenzin made eyes with Lin and then with Kya.

"She's nervous," Kya mouthed before looking back down at her book. Tenzin carefully placed the glass back on the counter.

"Never mind, I'm not really thirsty anyway," he told her quietly before departing for his room. The white lotus guard followed him silently.

Katara emerged from under a sink basin with a large bucket, "I'll be right back girls. Lin- help yourself to some dinner, sweetheart."

Lin moved to the counter, scooping some vegetables and rice onto her plate. She took a seat next to Kya whose eyes darted from side to side as she read voraciously.

"Kya?" Lin asked before touching her food.

"Hmm?"

"Who was that guy in the blue and white?"

"Oh, he is just here to make sure nothing happens to Tenzin," she replied airily, before her head snapped up and she corrected herself, "I mean he is here to make sure nothing happens to any of us... but mostly Tenzin I guess."

Lin nodded, locking a wilted mushroom between her chopsticks. It was the first time she heard anyone openly acknowledged how differently Tenzin was treated. The unique nature of his bending set him apart in nearly every way. It was something that everyone simply knew, but nobody ever talked about. It was something seen and not heard, much like the White Lotus guard. Lin saw it in the way he was treated by teachers in school, she saw it in the way adults reacted to him; as if he were some exotic creature they were lucky to glimpse. Even Lin's own mother, who often encouraged her to give sparring every ounce of her ferocity, seemed on edge if Lin would play too rough with him.

"Do you think Yakone will try to come here?" Lin asked, attempting to sound casually conversational.

Kya shrugged, "It would be pretty stupid of him."

"He can't even bend," Lin said aloud.

"No, he can't," Kya agreed, "and if he tried to get anywhere near this house my Mom would use that big bucket of water she's getting to send him flying into the bay."

Lin gave a small laugh at the image and felt herself relax.

The bucket of water followed them for the remainder of the evening. Katara dragged it into the living room where the three girls listened to the radio. It was a great episode of Shogun, but Lin found the experience somewhat lacking. Katara sat in a chair, mending clothes and not paying much attention, while Kya had been lost entirely to her book. Lin longed to be with her mother, an active listener, who always had a comment to share.

When the program came to an end, a strident beeping alerted them to a news bulletin. Katara quickly jumped up and turned the radio low, sending the girls to bed. Lin grudgingly complied, following Kya to her room and passing the sentry man posted at Tenzin's door in the hallway.

She had hoped her mother would be back by now. Lin laid back on the cot specially set up for her in Kya's room, lamenting the loss of time with her mother. With the wedding just two short weeks away, Lin's mind raced with all the things she would be missing out now that she would have to share her mother with Sokka. Tonight was meant to be time for just the two of them, she thought angrily. Yakone ruined that. Lin's eyes fluttered closed and she hazily told herself not to think about that man before bed.

Lin awoke with a start, stifling a scream. Her breaths were desperate and frenzied as she fought in vain to still her heaving chest in the stillness of the room. The ticking of a clock finally caught her attention and she could barely make out the time, 3:44. She looked to the bed a few feet away and saw Kya's chest rising and falling peacefully. Slowly, Lin pushed the blankets away and tiptoed to her bedside.

"Kya," she whispered, giving her shoulder a push. Kya gathered a breath and rolled to the side. Lin's hand reached out again, but quickly retracted. She didn't want Kya to know she scared anyway. With a sigh, Lin returned to her cot, sitting upright and trying to actively push images of her mother in a hospital bed from her mind. Her efforts were wasted and her imagination ran wild with different scenarios in which Toph was being tortured or worse. She thought for a moment about going down the hall to Katara, but dropped that idea after deciding she'd rather not be babied. She wanted to feel safe, not patronized.

Finally, she slid off the bed and opened the door a crack, peering out into the darkened hallway. The shining moon could not penetrate the windowless hall and Lin walked gingerly with her hands stretched out before her.

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness just in time to see the sentry man before Tenzin's door. He looked down at her and in a panic, she moved past him, sliding the door open and closed in one quick motion.

"Tenzin?" she whispered once inside. There was no answer and she moved forward, tiptoeing past a nightlight. Her eyes rolled instinctively, but she decided not to give him trouble for this considering she was the one currently sneaking into his room to find some measure of security.

"Tenzin," she repeated, giving him a shove.

The young airbender groaned, rubbing his eyes and blinking up at her, "Lin?"

"Move over," she instructed.

"What? Why?"

"Because I said so," she argued, sitting along the edge and shoving her way in. Tenzin acquiesced, moving to the side to allow her space.

"Are you scared or something?" he asked.

"No," Lin hissed.

"Ok," Tenzin sighed, letting her have her way. He rolled over with his back to her and closed his eyes, "You don't have to be scared, Lin."

"I'm not," she insisted in a whisper, turning her back to him as well. She huffed, assuming the next thing he would do is lecture her about how her powerful mother and his god-like father would protect them.

"Because I would never let anything happen to you," he whispered in the dark.

Lin smiled in spite of herself, "Same here."

"Goodnight," Tenzin whispered finally.

"Goodnight."

The sun was breaking when Sokka's boat docked in Republic City. The passengers exited, half- asleep and weary from traveling. Many of them had been onboard since Whale Tail Island, dreaming of solid land and a steady night's rest. They had nothing on Sokka or his elderly father, Hakoda who had been on board for nearly two weeks. Over a month ago when Sokka had the brilliant idea to use seafaring transport, rather than a much more time-efficient skybison he figured the long trip would be a great opportunity for father and son to reconnect on the open sea.

They had bonded, certainly. It was hard not to when stacked nearly on top of one another in a tiny bunk, in a room neither could stand entirely erect inside of, helping each other through some of the roughest waves nature had ever doled out. It was bonding, but not in an ideal way and Sokka found himself eager to fall asleep in a large, soft bed beside his future wife, the natural scent of her filling his nose.

"I know we just woke up," Hakoda commented, "but I'm ready to go back to sleep."

"Almost there, Pops," Sokka assured with a pat on the shoulder, "just a couple of blocks..."

Hakoda's shoulders sloped in anticipation of the short, but exhausting walk ahead of them. Without another word, the men made their way to the luggage pick up area awaiting the porters to appear. Alongside the queue of people were some enterprising food carts, beckoning the waiting hordes with the smell of breakfast foods and warm tea.

Sokka found himself in line without quite realizing how he got there, browsing the newsstand as he waited. His eyes locked on the cold, dead eyes of Yakone, face prominent on the cover of several periodicals.

"ESCAPED!" the 40-point font read.

Now fully awake, Sokka lunged for the paper, dipping into his pocket and retrieving a few coins for the cashier without ever taking his eyes off the article. He learned of the escape and read Toph's statement, assuring the press that all police resources were focused on bringing him to justice once again.

"Dad. I'm sorry, but we've got to stop somewhere."

"This is one of you bad jokes, isn't it, son?"

"I'm afraid not, but I'm sure Katara will have somewhere for you to sleep," Sokka told him, turning the paper around so his father understood.

The good news was that it took less time to get to Air Temple Island than it would have to make it back to Sokka's apartment. After a brief hold up on the dock by the White Lotus guards, the men made their way up the hill, passing the meditating Acolytes along the way.

Sokka spotted his brother-in-law, leading the meditation, eyes drawn and body focused. He considered this a good sign- if Aang was not out searching, surely some positive turn of events had occurred.

Hakoda waved to Aang, futilely.

"He's kind of in the zone," Sokka explained to his father when Aang neglected to return the gesture.

"Right. Avatar."

"Yep."

The two of them walked quietly into the main house. Sokka thought he was being quiet anyway, but Katara appeared quickly out of the kitchen.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of them and she ran forward, throwing her arms around her brother and father, absently hitting Sokka in the face with a flour-coated whisk she held.

"Sorry," she whispered, pulling back and wiping his cheek with her thumb. "I didn't expect to see you two this early."

"We saw the papers," Sokka told her in a matching whisper.

"Oh," she returned quietly, eyes darting sideways into the living room.

"I figured since Toph is probably at work I'd pick up Lin for you," Sokka explained further just before a loud snore filled the room. It was coming from only a few feet away and the three members of the Southern Water Tribe looked at one another curiously.

Katara shrugged and jerked her head in the direction of the snore, "She's not at work."

Sokka rounded the corner to find Toph, splayed out unceremoniously on Katara's couch in her uniform pants and a tank-top, dead asleep. The smile that spread across his face at the sight of her drooling onto the cushions took him by surprise and it struck him just how much he missed seeing her.

"Let her sleep," Katara advised at his shoulder, "they just got back."

"Did they find him?"

Katara shook her head, "It doesn't look promising."

Hakoda appeared behind them and the sound of Toph snoring filled their silence.

"So, Dad... you remember Toph," Sokka joked, holding out one hand as if to display her.

Katara laughed quietly and gripped her father's arm, "Dad- if you want to get some sleep, Kya's room is open."

"Where is she?" he wondered.

"Helping me with breakfast," Katara returned, holding up her whisk.

Sokka looked between them, "then where is Lin?"

Katara sighed and gestured for him to follow her down the hallway, "Not where I left her, that's for sure," she provided as they reached Tenzin's door and she slid it open. Lin and Tenzin dozed in the soft light of morning, back to back and breathing slowly.

"Best friends, eh?" Hakoda commented as the three looked in.

"Oh yeah, but if you ask Aang their's is the next wedding we'll be hosting," Katara returned dryly, "Come on, Dad. Let's get you settled."

Katara and her father moved down the hall, leaving Sokka in the doorway of Tenzin's room. He entered gingerly, careful not to wake them both, bending slightly at the side of the bed to rub Lin's shoulder.

"Hey, Bones," he whispered, jostling her gently.

Lin blinked up at him, focusing after a minute, "Sokka?" she asked, hoping she was still asleep. He'd been gone over a month and she still hadn't managed to have any alone time with her mother. How could he already be back?

"What are you doing here?" she wondered in a drawn-out whine.

"Sorry to wake you," he apologized, mistaking her disappointment for tiredness, "but how about we move this slumber party back to the house?"

Lin twisted in the bed, kicking her feet out with a grunt. She whined incoherently as she pulled herself out of bed and stumbled after Sokka into the living room to find her mother on the couch.

"Mom," Lin grumbled as she pushed against Toph's sleeping form, "let's go."

Toph woke quickly, running a hand across her tired face and sitting up, "I'm up. I'm up. What's going on?"

"I'm taking you home," Sokka provided.

"Sokka?" Toph asked, reaching out toward the sound of his voice and finding his shoulder, "Sokka!"

She sprang forward into his arms and gripped him tightly, "You have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice," she told him as she buried her face in his neck.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear your snore," he laughed lightly, kissing her temple.

"Did they tell you...about Yakone?"

"I saw it in the paper."

Toph's body sagged in his arms and she pulled back, reaching a hand forward to search for Lin.

"Kiddo? You ready to head home?"

"I guess."

The three of them said their farewells to Katara and Kya as the others slept. They made their way back through the streets of Republic City, just as the streets were coming to life. Lin trailed behind a few steps, glowering. Her feet dragged and her arms remained crossed as she followed her mother and Sokka, thinking bitterly to herself that nothing would ever be the same once he officially joined their family.

"Oh! Bones, I almost forgot," Sokka announced, pausing just as they approached the front gate of their yard, "I got you something."

He dug into his bag and fished around, retrieving a whale-bone cup with holes carved all around the sides. Small pegs of ivory dangled from strings tied to the holes and he held it out to her proudly, "Flippy cup!"

Lin looked up at him, confused.

"I used to play it all the time when I was your age. You have to flip these pegs up into the cup, but not in just any order! This one first, then this one," he explained happily, pointing out the pegs as Lin's face remained passive.

"Wow. You guys must have been really bored down there," Toph commented dryly.

"No, it's fun," Sokka returned, sounding slightly as if the air had been let out of his balloon.

"This one is mine," he continued, taking on a wistful tone, "my Mom helped me carve it when I was a kid. Anyway, I thought you might like it."

Lin looked from Sokka's sad expression and back to the crudely constructed cup, feeling guilt settle against her shoulders. The weight of it bore a hole in her chest and she found herself feeling rather ashamed of her selfish thoughts from moments ago.

"Will you show me?" she asked, in an effort to relieve her guilt. A smile spread across his face and he nodded once.

"Of course," he agreed, beginning to demonstrate on the spot.

"Baby," Toph began in a yawn, and they both responded by turning to her, "how about we learn the rules of flippy cup after we take a nap."

Sokka smiled, "Good idea."

But Lin, still worried that he might feel jilted, insisted that she learn the rules immediately-which is how all three of them ended up in Toph's oversized bed.

Toph was asleep in an instant, body jolting once as she began to drift which earned her a laugh from Lin and Sokka. Lin nuzzled herself between them and rested her head on Sokka's outstretched arm as he used his free hand to swing the cup around purposefully.

"See? It's all in the wrist," he commented as one ivory peg swung into the cup.

Lin nodded against his arm and curled into his side as he continued to swing his childhood pastime from side to side, "We'll all have to try it once your Mom wakes up, it's a good family game," he explained.

Lin nodded again, contemplating his words. Her Mom, her Sokka, and herself all lay cuddled up together, a family. Unconventional sure, but Lin was beginning to see that wasn't such a bad thing.

"Sokka?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

His eyes drifted to where she lay along his side, looking on the edge of sleep, "I'm glad you're home," she told him, honestly.

"Yeah?" he smiled, kissing the crown of her head and catching sight of Toph's sleeping face, "me too."

In the the following weeks, Sokka couldn't decide which was turning cold quicker; Yakone's trail or Toph's feet. She was becoming so pre-occupied by the missing crime-boss that their impending nuptials were merely an afterthought on her radar. He was beginning to worry that she might forget to show-up altogether if she didn't find him first. He even considered giving her a false tip regarding Yakone's whereabouts that might lead her to Air Temple Island on the designated day, just to be sure. As it was, her most reliable lead said that Yakone had fled the continent.

Three days before the wedding when Toph seemed to have nothing but Yakone on her mind, Sokka finally met her in her office to address the issue.

"Are you ok?"

Her mouth opened and closed, considering her words, "Okay implies some level of competency, so the short answer is no. No, I am not okay."

With a sigh, he reached out and pulled her to his chest, "Are you talking about Yakone or our wedding?"

"You think I'm bad at wedding stuff?" she grumbled, voice muffled against his chest. He let out a small laugh and she pushed back to face him, "of course I'm talking about Yakone...but I guess," she sighed and pushed her way out of his grasp, "I guess I'm talking about both."

"As long as you show up," Sokka joked, "you'll be fine."

She gave him a pity laugh, "reserve your judgement- you're basically asking me to talk about my feelings in a fancy dress in front of a bunch of strangers."

"Not all strangers," he reasoned.

She shrugged, "Have you checked the mail today?"

He knew what she was asking. The invitations went out ages ago, all had come back to them with a 'yes' or 'no' except the last invitation she sent. In moments like these, she resembled Lin closest.

"Nothing," he confirmed, "but theirs was the last to go out."

"Whatever," she mumbled, "my parents don't want to come, they don't have to. I did my part."

"Maybe it got lost in the mail system," he offered, helpfully.

She shrugged again as she fixed metal cable spools along the hip of her uniform, "I've got to go break in some newbies. I'm running some field drills, lots of rock smashing and heavy lifting- are you free? You can come watch."

"Chief Beifong, are you trying to seduce me?"

A mischievous smile passed over her features before she snapped the last of the spool in place with a loud click, "Maybe."

"Well, I hate to decline, but I've got a council meeting in about twenty minutes," he told her regretfully, "I just wanted to drop in and make sure you were doing okay."

"I'm fine. I'm always fine," she assured him with a wave of her hand.

He crossed the room and leaned in to kiss her, "You definitely are."

"Oh jeez," Toph laughed at his corny sentiment against his lips before playfully shoving him away, "get out of here."

Their laughter chorused and he leaned in again, "Save it for the wedding night, Meathead!"

"Okay, Okay," Sokka relented with a chuckle, "I'll see you later."

He stole one last kiss before making his way back to the door, "Love you."

"You too," Toph returned just as she heard the door close. She shook her head in amusement, fighting to wipe the smile from her face before she head out to field training. Though she stressed over work and family, Sokka always managed to brighten her mood. It was a great quality to find in a person you planned to spend your life with and she marveled at her luck as she made her way onto the field where she could feel several pairs of feet waiting.

Half of the men were new and stood straight, heels together, bringing their hands up to their helmets for a proper salute when she arrived. The other half, the long-term officers they'd been paired with, gave a salute but continued chatting among themselves when she bowed her head to relieve them.

"Okay, ladies- listen up," she ordered, cutting their conversations, "I've got things to do today so let's keep this short and simple."

"What's the rush? The honeymoon aint for at least four more days," Officer Zhang chided her, bumping an elbow into his junior partner.

"Watch it, Zhang- you're talking to somebody's mother," she warned. "Now, newbies- you're with me. We're going to go into this house," she explained, pointing toward a model home set up on the field, "on a rescue mission. The officers inside wearing green are the victims. Your mission is to get them to safety and apprehend all the officers in red who will be putting up a fight, make no mistake. I want you making the most of your surroundings, use whatever materials you have at your disposal to accomplish this mission. Any questions?"

There was a silence in which she sensed the racing hearts of new recruits, but their mouths remained closed.

"Okay, let's go!"

The officers ran toward the mock house and their resistance poured from the doors instantly, meeting them outside to begin their fight. Toph stood in the middle of the fray redirecting debris from the others, occasionally shouting "Watch your blow-off, ladies!"

She watched the rookies bend the earth and metal with her seismic sense, showing no outward approval or disapproval of their actions as they maneuvered inside, though she was secretly pleased when a new recruit was keen enough to sense a box of tools under the sink and use the metal inside to pin one of their targets to a wall.

The exercise lasted approximately fifteen minutes. Toph had to call it when it became apparent that one of the rookies was nowhere near making an arrest. They filed back out onto the field for a debrief and Toph sensed several new pairs of feet this time.

The scent of cherry blossoms filled her nose and her heart began to race, "Zhang. How about you handle this debrief? I've got some visitors..."

"You got it, Chief," he agreed.

Toph made her way to the side of the field, certain she was about to speak with her parents. Kato stood beside the new arrivals, "Chief, I know you don't normally allow civilians out here, but they said they were your parents so, I figured you wouldn't mind."

"That was very impressive, Toph," her father offered.

They were the first words she'd heard him speak in five years. They were the first words of praise that she'd heard him speak in at least thirty years and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying.

"Thanks, Dad," she replied, but her voice was soft and she could tell the unusual tone of it was making Kato uncomfortable.

"I'll let you catch up," Kato bowed, exiting as politely and swiftly as possible.

As soon as he moved to leave, Toph's mother was embracing her. She grabbed either side of Toph's face in her hands and took her in. She noted a small scratch on her forehead- new and red, she saw how Toph's hair was graying at the temple, she saw small lines that spidered out from her eyes, but in spite of all of age's markings Poppy saw her baby.

"I am so pleased to see you, my darling," she gushed, drawing her daughter in for a long hug and Toph could tell her mother was crying. Her arms remained awkwardly at her sides as she couldn't quite bring herself to return the gesture. A storm churned inside Toph, two opposing systems fighting it out in her gut. One half was made of relief, the other resentment.

"I wasn't expecting you two," was all she managed to say.

Poppy withdrew and stole a quick glance back at her husband, "Well, we thought we might beat our RSVP here," she told her lightly.

"You did," Toph confirmed.

Poppy looked between her husband and daughter, feeling the invisible stream of resentment thicken the air. She attempted an easy laugh, "I hope we're still invited."

A moment passed before Toph replied, it lasted just long enough that Poppy was beginning to believe their invitation had been rescinded and her face took on a pained expression.

"Of course," Toph said, finally putting her mother's worry to rest.

"Toph," her father interjected, clearing his throat, "Your Mother and I are staying with the Kwon's while we are in town. The four of us would like to extend a dinner invitation to both you and Sokka, to...celebrate."

Toph understood from his tone of voice that this wasn't an invitation so much as an expectation. When he used this distant tone it insinuated a command rather than a request. Though Toph had no particular dinner plans, she couldn't help the feeling that rose within her to deny him. It was familiar rebellion, but a little less satisfying now.

"We aren't available for dinner tonight," she told him solidly.

Though she couldn't see it, she was fairly sure he mother was crying again, "Sorry," she provided in sympathy.

"In that case- I assume we will just bring our invitation to Air Temple Island on Saturday?"

"Yeah, sure," Toph agreed awkwardly.

The three stood in a group, along the sidelines of the police practice field without a word to exchange. After what seemed like an eternity, Toph shifted her weight in way that conveyed finality, "I should get back to work," she explained, jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

"Of course, dear," Poppy nodded, moving forward yet again to kiss her daughters cheek. Toph waited to see if her father would do the same, but when he didn't budge she gave him a curt nod, "Talk to you Saturday."

As quickly as they had appeared, they were gone, exiting the field swiftly to avoid any further discomfort. Toph was grateful for their departure, the large expanse of the field was beginning to feel rather claustrophobic with them around.

"Zhang!" Toph called out, "Can you finish up here? I'm supposed to be at the dock to greet the Royal Family by four."

"No problem, Chief."

Though it was scarcely three o'clock Toph decided to take a little time for herself between running drills and her hosting duties to decompress after the bombshell of her parents arrival exploded at her feet.

Lost in her thoughts, the arrival of the Royal Barge snuck up on her and before she knew it she was standing beside Aang at the dock waiting for the Firelord and his family to disembark. Toph was careful to keep their conversation to a minimum, mindful that the snapping cameras of the press might catch onto her uneasy feeling and mistake it for pre-wedding jitters.

Once the royal party made their way from the barge, Zuko stepped up to a podium and delivered a very even speech about how delighted he was to be back in the city that he helped to create and reminded the press that this would be his only public appearance as he was visiting for a private event.

The cameras snapped, Aang and Zuko posed together- a symbol of unity, Mai and Toph dove right into their easy sarcasm routine as Ursa stood off to one side, bored to tears. The arrival of the Firelord's family marked the official beginning of her wedding weekend.

Toph had assumed that the wedding would be her most challenging moment, but when it came to rehearsal she was beginning to rethink that notion.

The main courtyard of Air Temple Island had been entirely transformed for the occasion, with festive bunting and low-hanging lanterns strewn across the length of it, creating a canopy of sorts over the seating that had been set up. Everyone commented on how beautiful the place was, much to Katara's delight but Toph characteristically shrugged, "We could be doing this in a cave, for all I care."

"You're welcome, Toph," Katara grumbled in return.

As the rehearsal got underway two things became readily apparent; Aang's enthusiasm for the wedding outdid all others, and Toph could not properly navigate the aisles with her wedding slippers on.

The first thing didn't need fixing, but the second was a matter of some debate.

"I'll just go barefoot," Toph decided, after knocking her shin against yet another chair.

"Toph," Katara pled in exasperation

"What if I just hold your hand, Mom?" Lin offered.

"You want to give me away, kid?" Toph joked playfully.

"No, Mom. I'm serious," Lin iterated. It was something Lin had convinced herself was important. It was her permission Sokka was asking all those months ago, after all. She'd formulated this idea after he had returned from his trip. Though she learned to play flippy cup, quite well even, she still didn't feel as if that could adequately express how deeply sorry she was for not wanting him in their family originally. This would be her gesture of good-will and acceptance in lieu of actually having to talk to him about it.

"Well, I don't see why not," Toph smiled.

"Okay, that's settled then. Let's get going," Katara instructed and Lin gripped her mother's hand to lead her down the aisle where Sokka, Aang, Hakoda, and Zuko stood talking amongst themselves.

Aang insisted on performing the ceremony himself and Toph and Sokka both laughed when he could hardly get through the rehearsal without crying. All went smoothly, prayers were said, and dinner followed.

When the evening ended, Sokka kissed his bride-to-be farewell and went back to his apartment, allowing Lin and her mother one more night alone together.

They practiced bending, ate the spiciest noodles they could get their hands on, and stayed up late listening to the radio. It was a last hurrah that didn't feel very final at all. The two Beifongs fell asleep together in Toph's bed, an open book laying across Lin's chest.

They woke before the sun the day of the wedding, as they typically did, but today instead of bending practice they gathered their formal clothes and made their way back to Air Temple Island. Lin giggled a bit when they passed the Acolytes meditating among the wedding decorations as dawn broke over the island.

The main house was buzzing with activity when they entered, Katara was already up and moving a mile a minute. She embraced Toph in a hurry, "You're getting married today," she squealed, giving Toph a vice-like hug.

"Wow, are you sure it's me and not you?" Toph joked of her excitement.

Katara laughed a little, "We're going to officially be family."

Her comment seemed to win the attention of her youngest son who went from rubbing his groggy eyes to fully alert, "Wait, does that mean we will be cousins?" he asked, looking over at Lin.

"Technically," Katara answered and Tenzin's face paled.

"Not by blood," Aang interjected happily as he walked into the room and gathered Toph into a hug, "Ready for the big day?"

"It's always been my dream to talk about my emotions in front of my parents and a bunch of politicians," Toph deadpanned with a shrug of her shoulders.

"You'll do fine! Just picture everyone in their underwear if you get nervous," Aang advised and Toph pointed to her clouded eyes helpfully.

Katara pulled a face, "You picture people in their underwear?"

"Well... not exactly... I mean I've done it once or twice. It's more of an expression," Aang attempted to explain, tripping over his words.

"Come on, Toph. Let's go get you ready," Katara sighed, mercifully ending the rambling of her husband.

Katara put in an insane amount of beauty work, doing Lin and Kya's hair as Toph scrubbed herself down in water infused with lilac. When she was all finished up, Katara braided and coifed Toph's hair, which proved a tedious endeavor. There were intermissions of course, to slap food out of Toph's hands and to calm the girls, now joined by Ursa, who ran around the room in high-spirits, making a mess.

Katara helped her get into her long, silk wedding gown of traditional red embroidered with gold. Mai popped in to sit with the ladies as they applied a light, natural layer of make-up to Toph's face.

"You clean up pretty well," Mai offered as she watched Katara paint Toph's lips.

"Uh...thanks?"

There was a knock at the door and Katara groaned, wondering who else could possibly be here to slow proceedings. The day had flown by- they began at dawn and it was very nearly sunset.

"Come in."

Toph's mother slid the door open and stepped through. The room froze momentarily at the sight of her. Katara recovered first, standing to politely bow.

"Mrs. Beifong," she greeted, "I'm not sure if you remember me. We met before."

"Yes, of course. Hello, Katara."

Katara looked between Toph and her mother, "We're pretty much done here. Why don't we give you a minute alone," she offered with a diplomatic smile.

With another bow all the girls except Lin and Toph filed from the room, "Lin?" Katara prompted her from the doorway.

Lin shook her head resolutely, obviously indicating that she would remain behind to offer some kind of protection to her mother. She recognized her grandmother immediately and before a memory could surface, a feeling did. It was the feeling that this woman made her mother sad and so Lin decided to stay put.

"It's okay, baby girl. Why don't you go check on Sokka for me? Make sure he isn't making a run for it," Toph assured her daughter with a hand on her back and a light kiss on her cheek.

Lin obliged then, passing her grandmother with a cool stare before sliding the door closed behind her.

Poppy and Toph were alone in the room finally and the silence rang out like an alarm.

"You look beautiful," Poppy announced. It was clear by the hitch in her voice that she was already crying.

"Smoke and mirrors," Toph deflected casually.

"Lin has grown so much," Poppy told her from the doorway, "she seems very strong-willed. She gets that from you I suppose."

Toph wasn't sure what was rising inside her when she heard her mother's comment, but it was unstoppable. Her throat constricted and her eyes instantly began pouring tears, "She is the most wonderful person, Mom. She's smart and funny and so talented and even though I might be a complete screw-up in your view, I know I did something right."

It came as if from nowhere, her statement. It was full of conviction and obstinance and she felt as if she had to say it, to prove to her mother that something she did in her life was fundamentally good and worthy.

"Oh, Toph," Poppy returned, "I don't think you are anything less than perfect in the first place."

"Could have fooled me," Toph told her sharply, channeling years worth of anger into her statement. Toph stood at the base of an emotional mountain made up of a lifetime of worthless feeling and shame in her disability, accepting the idea that it was not entirely unscalable for the first time in her life.

"You locked me away. You kept me a secret from your society friends because you were ashamed of me," Toph pressed on, "you tried to stop me from being myself and I'm supposed to believe you when you show up thirty years too late and say I'm perfect?"

"I was never ashamed. I was frightened," Poppy insisted, her own cheeks turning red from the tears that streaked down her face, "I wasn't afraid of you, I was afraid for you. We wanted to protect you, Toph and we were wrong. I know that now. But you don't understand how terrifying it is..."

"Are you kidding?" she scoffed, "I get it. Lin scares the shit out of me. I never knew I could worry so much. I worry about what she eats, is she happy, is she too sensitive, is she not sensitive enough, does she feel loved, is she learning, where is she, who is she with, what is she doing? It's exhausting."

Poppy let out a knowing laugh through her tears, "Motherhood..."

"Yeah," Toph agreed, wiping at her eyes.

"Then you can understand something for me too," Poppy sighed, "when you left- I... I was so scared."

A fresh wave of tears swelled inside her and Toph began crying again, "I know. I'm sorry. I was a dumb kid."

"No," Poppy insisted, crossing the room to take her face in her hands, "you were brilliant and I'm sorry I never told you that. I am so proud of you. I always have been."

Toph's head bowed in her mother's grip and tears flowed freely, dripping onto her lap to leave small splotches of deep red in her silk dress. Mother cradled daughter in her arms as Toph let go of one final sob into her shoulder. She'd covered the entire spectrum of her emotion in just a few minutes, it was as draining as it was cathartic. There was no greater gift she would be receiving on her wedding day than to finally reach some sort of understanding with her mother.

Toph clutched her mother's form, inhaling her familiar scent and for once she smelled like home. She pulled back and wiped at her tearful eyes again before feeling her mother's hand gently brushing her cheek.

"Oh dear," Poppy remarked with a sniffle, "we probably should have done this before your make-up."

"Is it bad?" Toph questioned. It was, the eyeliner had bled entirely down her cheeks making her appear waterlogged and exhausted.

"No. It's nothing I can't fix," Poppy told her confidently, reaching over to wet a towel and run it across her daughter's face, clearing the canvas.

Poppy pulled Katara's stool over and began re-applying Toph's make-up with a delicate touch. The task took only ten minutes and the silence they existed in for that time was some of the most healing and peaceful silence either would ever experience.

"There we go," Poppy whispered as she rubbed the last bit of blush into apple of Toph's cheeks. She brushed Toph's eyebrows quickly with her thumb and ran her hand down the length of Toph's face, "My beautiful girl," she mused leaning forward to kiss her forehead, "Are you ready to go get married?"

"Might as well conform to something while I've got you here," Toph joked in return.

The two women stood and made their way from the preparation room, fundamentally changed. Poppy slid to the door open to reveal Katara and Lin waiting patiently against the opposite wall.

Katara had managed to turn herself into a vision of beauty in the short time she'd been absent and she reached out for Toph's hand, giving it a squeeze, "You ready?"

"Yeah," Toph confirmed, squeezing her hand in return.

The four women made their way out to the courtyard. Katara and Poppy both kissed Toph's cheek before leaving to find their seats. Toph felt her daughter's hand slide into her own and she bent low to kiss her cheek quickly, "You know you're always my number one love, right?"

"Are you okay?," Lin whispered, looking her mother over suspiciously.

"I'm always okay as long as you know that," Toph told her.

"You're being weird," Lin whispered again, aware of the few people in the back of the courtyard turning to glimpse them.

"And I'm always going to be weird," Toph agreed, standing fully, "now let's do this thing."

She slipped her shoes off and took a step forward, Katara caught the small movement from her seat and rolled her eyes. Lin looked from the discarded slippers to her mother and laughed, walking beside her in measured strides down the aisle.

Sokka stood at the end, looking tall and handsome in his tunic, which was Water Tribe inspired, but modernized somewhat for style and comfort.

Though Toph could find her way to the altar easily without her slippers, she felt it was appropriate to have Lin at her side just now. When they reached the front, Lin passed her mother's hand off to Sokka who leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Love you, Bones," he whispered.

"Love you too, Sokka," she returned stepping around her mother and taking her place on the opposite side.

"You look wonderful," Sokka whispered from the side of his mouth.

"You look like nothing," Toph retorted, squeezing his hand, "but you smell great."

Sokka turned to find Aang's eyes glistening as he launched into his first prayer, asking the ancestors to watch over his two friends as they enter a new phase in their lives. Zuko leaned forward and lit the incense as Aang addressed the couple before him, "Do you pledge to dedicate yourselves completely to each other, with body, speech, and mind. In this life, in every situation, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in happiness or difficulty, you will work to help each other perfectly."

"We do," the couple affirmed in unison.

"Now, instead of running down the list of vows here," Aang announced of the parchment in his hand, "Sokka has prepared his own words."

Aang rolled the parchment up and gestured for Sokka to begin. Sokka swallowed hard as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his writing and Toph could feel his heart pounding through the ground.

He unrolled the paper and cleared his throat, his eyes danced over it quickly, rolling it up again and placing it into Toph's hand before opening his mouth to speak. Toph felt the parchment in her hand, covered in a pattern of raised bumps and her eyes stung. He'd written it all out in her own private code.

"So you always have it," Sokka laughed. He cleared his throat again nervously and took both her hands this time, focusing just on her face so the penetrating eyes of spectators would fade into the background.

"Toph," he began, "I can't think of a more perfect person for me to be standing with today. I have called you my best friend for longer than I can remember and I am so honored that after today I can call you my wife as well. I can't imagine my life without your smile or your humor which has saved me on more than one occasion. You are beautiful, and graceful, a wonderful mother, and one hell of a bender," he continued through the small wave of laughter, "and you have taught me so much about what is important in life just by being yourself. I love you more than I ever thought it possible to love a person I promise to spend the rest of my life making sure you know that."

Sokka turned to his father, who held out a the necklace Sokka had originally presented to her months ago. He clapped his son on the shoulder and Sokka turned back to Toph.

"This necklace is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in partnership," Aang provided as Sokka fastened it around her neck carefully, with a small kiss at the corner of her mouth.

There was a pause and Toph blushed, "How am I supposed to follow that?" she asked aloud and the entire courtyard came alive with laughter.

"Uh..." she began awkwardly, "Sokka, I want you to know I second all that stuff you said...I love you, obviously. I, um, I love how steady and present you have been for Lin and how you always make dinner even when I don't ask. I love that you always consider me and Lin whenever you make a decision about your own life. You are really amazing and... oh spirits what am I saying...you're basically one of the greatest things that have ever happened to me. I'm forever grateful that you think there is something special about me because I don't know where I would be without your love and support. You're pretty much the greatest and I love you. And I'm going to stop talking now."

Sokka laughed lightly and squeezed her hand to reassure her.

Aang smiled broadly, "By the power vested in me by the wishes of Sokka and Toph as well as the blessings and lineage of the spirits, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Sokka leaned in, kissing Toph full on the lips as the crowd erupted in applause. The sound of fireworks filled the air as they broke apart.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Aang called through the cacophony, "please join me in congratulating Mr. and Mrs. ... uh Beifong?"

Sokka's face fell and he cast a look of annoyance at his brother-in-law before Toph pulled his hand into the air triumphantly.

"Ha ha!" she laughed, "And don't you forget it!"

The music picked up and Toph dropped her other hand for Lin to grab onto and the three of them made their way back down the aisle together.

The courtyard underwent a further transformation as the Acolytes cleared out the chairs and set up dining tables and cleared space for a dance floor. The guests milled about, acquiring drinks and mingling while the newly married couple posed for a short photo session.

Food was soon set up along a large and expansive table, the sheer volume of which could not possibly be consumed by all the people in Republic City.

The newlyweds returned and took their place at a table with their closest friends. After pulling out Toph's chair, Sokka sprinted to another table to snag two chairs which he set up at their table, offering the space to her parents.

It was a last-minute gesture, but they accepted, taking their place just between Hakoda and Firelord Zuko.

The conversation was spirited and constant as it was apparent everyone at the table was riding the wave of positive feeling begun by the ceremony itself. Even Poppy had a joke or two for the group. The only dissident was Toph's father Lao, who did not engage anyone unless absolutely necessary. This wasn't lost on his daughter who elected to ignore his dour attitude, feeling as if she'd mended enough fences for one day.

As dinner wound down, the dance floor sprang to life. The first dance belonged to the newlyweds who chose a relatively upbeat number for their first dance as husband and wife. Toph was not quite as well versed in dancing as Sokka and she stepped on his toes a number of times, causing their dance to devolve into the business of staying upright while laughing against one another. It also resulted in some wonderful candid photos.

Aang could hardly resist the music and took to the floor in short order, pulling Kya along with him. Father and daughter tore the place up with a number they'd clearly been working on and everyone cheered them. The floor filled up and became more and more animated as the night wore on and the drinks flowed. Only an hour into the reception while Toph was busy talking shop with some of her officers, Lin danced with Sokka, her feet on top of his as they moved around the floor.

When the heavy sound of the Watertribal drums began to echo around the island, Katara made her way onto the floor in an astounding display of dancing ability that caused Bumi to cover his own eyes and Aang to happily declare, "That's my wife!"

"She's drunk," Toph observed.

"Well, if anyone deserves to unwind after this it's my sister," Sokka sympathized, recognizing how much thought and effort she channeled into this event. She twirled around quickly dropping her weight and slapping the ground before popping back up again. Aang elbowed Sokka in the ribs, caught his eye and frowned when he realized her brother might not find her movements quite as appealing.

The floor crowded again, egging her on in her movements and joining in the festivities after a few minutes of observation. The children had disappeared and when Toph realized she hadn't heard much out of Lin in awhile she sent a vibration through the ground to find all the kids behind a shrub passing around a glass of champagne as if it were a ticking time bomb.

It was so innocent she chose to do nothing about it at the time, figuring she could scare the daylights out of Lin by revealing this knowledge at a later date.

When the kids returned to the dance floor Ursa and Bumi were acting particularly spastic, having convinced themselves they were "feeling it."

Soon, a second and longer pyrotechnic display filled the night sky, coloring the faces of the happy onlookers and signaling the end of their evening.

Toph felt the weight of Sokka's arm around her shoulder, "Well, we did it."

"But not as much as we're going to do it," she returned with a laugh as the sound of exploding shells echoed around her. As the final fireworks burst, Sokka leaned in for a kiss, "I love you, wife."

"You too, husband."

Several months later at the kitchen table, Lin was asked an important question.

"Hey Bones," Sokka began casually as he guided a few noodles from the frying pan onto her plate, "what do you think about this?"

Lin looked up from the sketch she was illustrating and indicated the space between them, "About this?"

"No," Sokka's eyes darted back and forth suspiciously, "about this," he clarified by pointing at her plate, "is this enough noodles for you?"

Lin smiled, "Yeah that's enough." She paused and looked down at her sketch, considering how nice it was having him around full time. Her sketch was based on one of the wedding photos in which all three of them pulled a face and stuck out their tongues, their first proper family portrait. "And for what it's worth," she followed, "I'm really glad you married my Mom, Sokka."

He smiled, taking a seat beside her, "Seriously?"

She nodded once, "Seriously."


	13. Rites of Passage

Lin Beifong was thirteen when she made her first million. Well, several million, actually. It began with a letter from one Kenji Hito: Estate Lawyer. The letter was addressed to Toph and so naturally, Sokka read it to her.

"It says here that Mo's father died and this Kenji guy wants to come by and talk to Lin about his will," Sokka explained to his wife.

"Oh, wow. That's too bad. Mo's dad was a pretty solid dude," Toph mused, sipping her tea.

"You got along?" Sokka wondered, having never heard a word about this man, aside from the yearly birthday card which arrived each August with a standard fifty yuan note attached. It consistently read, "Happy Birthday, Lin. Love, Grandfather." Nothing more, nothing less.

"I didn't know him all that well. I think he's only ever seen Lin twice and that was before she was walking," Toph explained, "but we had a common enemy...so to speak."

The first time Toph had ever met Mo's father, she was exceptionally pregnant. At eight months in, Toph was quickly losing her reputation as the toughest girl in the world- often devolving into a puddle of tears when faced with a flight of stairs or anything that would cause her body temperature to rise in the already sweltering heat of summer.

For all of Mo's complaining about how overbearing his father was, Toph was surprised to find him a relatively soft-spoken man and the first person she'd encountered thus far that didn't offer her some kind of snide comment about her condition as an unmarried woman.

The three of them shared a meal and very little conversation. When Mo's father finally asked what kind of work Mo would be looking for now that he was a father-to-be, the evening imploded. Mo flew into a rage about how his father could never understand that art is a way of life, but not always a living. He stormed out in a huff and his embarrassed father instantly expressed his regret.

"I am very sorry for his behavior," he offered.

Toph laughed, "I was just about to say the same thing to you."

"Listen, Toph," he continued, "I want you to know that even though my relationship with my son is... strained, you will always have my full support. If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."

"A forcible baby-ectomy would be great right about now," Toph returned lightly, poking one finger at her swollen belly.

"I meant financially," he clarified, missing her joke entirely.

"Uh...yeah. I got that."

He certainly wasn't the wittiest man she'd ever come across, but his heart was in the right place. Though Mo often portrayed his father as heartless, Toph could not forget the time he first held his grand-daughter, openly weeping when he found they had chosen to name her Lin after his late wife.

"Ohhh I wonder how much cash he's giving her," Toph wondered aloud in the present day.

Across the table Sokka scowled at her, "that's a pretty callous thought at a time like this."

It was, given the timing. Sokka's own father, Hakoda, had passed away nearly six months ago, leaving his son and daughter feeling adrift. After returning from his funeral in the south, Sokka suffered a deep period of despondency, which seemed to be gradually letting up, but Toph could tell it would never go away entirely. Many nights since then she would wake to find the space beside her empty and Sokka out in the yard, throwing his boomerang into the darkness. Of course it always came back and he caught it, but his manner was morose and searching, as if one day it would return to him with his father, alive and breathing. Only once did she interrupt this therapy of his and he laid his head on her shoulder and cried.

She removed her hand from the tea cup and slid it across the table to find her husband's, curling her fingers beneath his palm, "I'm sorry."

He was silent a moment before lifting her hand and bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss, "thank you," he whispered. He set her hand back down on the table with a sigh, "How are we going to break the news to Lin?"

Toph turned her head, "LIN!"

"What?" Lin shouted in return from the back of the house.

"Your grandfather died!" Toph announced at the top of her lungs. There was a moment of silence and then Toph heard the volume being lowered on Lin's gramophone. Her door opened and the sound of footsteps grew closer.

"What?"

Sokka leaned back in his chair with a sigh and a shake of his head. Lin entered the kitchen, confusion written across her face.

"Your dad's dad, he died, kiddo," Toph explained from her seat.

"Oh," Lin remarked, lamely. It was clear there was no real attachment on her end, but she was trying to muster some sort of grieving expression. Then her head snapped up in realization, "did you open my mail?"

Lin moved forward taking note of the opened envelopes that rest between her mother and Sokka, "letters from my dad are for me, Mother," she growled.

"This wasn't from your Dad, Lin," Sokka provided, diplomatically holding the letter out to her. She snatched the paper from his hand and scanned it quickly.

"So this guy is going to come over Saturday and talk to you, okay Squirt?" Toph explained, reaching out one hand to grip Lin's arm to offer some measure of comfort.

Lin yanked herself free instantly taking issue with the childish nickname, "does my Dad even know about this?" she asked tartly.

"How should I know?" Toph retorted in an aggravated breath.

Lin rolled her eyes and shifted her weight, obviously peeved that her mother was being so casual, "well someone should tell him...and I guess it's got to be me! Of course!"

She turned on her heel and stalked from the room, back down the hallway, and slammed her door loudly. The music went up again.

Toph turned back in her chair to Sokka and pulled a face, "Sheesh. What is with that kid lately?"

Something was indeed markedly different about Lin recently. She was far less deferential than before, she was moody, and constantly sleeping. Toph had taken to calling her "dragon baby" because of her tendency to lay about in bed unless provoked, at which point she spit fire from her mouth as steam curled from her ears.

"Do you think she's possessed?"

"You mean depressed?" Sokka asked for clarification.

"Nope," Toph quipped before taking another sip of her tea.

"I think she's a teenager," he returned with a wise nod of his head.

"I wasn't like that when I was a teenager," Toph reasoned.

"The world was a different place when we were that age," Sokka pointed out helpfully.

It certainly was. Though Lin was not fighting a global war or instructing others in the the progressive art of metal bending, she did have her own modern struggles that Toph was not privy to.

Physical appearance had never been particularly important to Toph, for obvious reasons. She went through her own teen years comparing herself to others based on talent and personal merit alone, but Lin did not have that luxury. Lin inhabited a world in which the girls in her class were all in silent competition with one another and Lin was losing big time.

Though she was pretty, she hadn't developed like many of the other girls her age. Lin was long and lean, angular and thin, with a flat chest and bony knees. When she complained about it to a friend in the locker room after gym class one day, her dauntless rival, Karuna overheard.

"You're just kind of stuck in that awkward phase," Karuna told her sweetly as if she were attempting to comfort. At the age of thirteen, Lin's nemesis had taken on an entirely new tactic of bullying which involved being overly friendly in conversation while slipping in a backhanded comment and then muttering to her friends afterward.

"Maybe once you get your period, you'll fill out!" Karuna finished with a helpful smile before turning to her sidekick, Yi, and whispering, "except, I don't think boys get periods, do they?"

The girls exited the room giggling to themselves. While Lin rolled her eyes and told her own friends that Karuna's comments were pathetic and ineffective, deep down they stung.

These snarky asides were a daily occurrence and they only worsened when try-outs for competitive bending got underway.

Each class had two teams divided by gender. When the list of accepted benders was posted the entire year eight class gathered to see which girls had made the team. Karuna's name was at the top of the list- she would be year eight's female waterbender. Lin scanned the other two names, shocked to find Yi's occupying the earthbending slot.

"Oh no," Karuna said sympathetically as she observed Lin's disappointment, "did you check this one?" she asked, pointing to the sheet beside marked "Year Eight Boy's Team" before flashing a wicked smile and disappearing into the crowd.

"I'm going to bury her one of these days," Lin growled to Tenzin as they made their way from the crowd as well.

"Don't let her get to you," Tenzin shrugged, "so she's on a competitive bending team- so what? Bending isn't about competition anyway, it's about connecting with the elements and the spiritual side of nature..."

Lin quirked one eyebrow, indicating her disinterest in his opinion.

"I'm just saying, bending isn't something you can win at anyway," he defended.

"Have you met my mother?" Lin returned.

Tenzin opened his mouth to reply, but was silenced by his older sister squealing with excitement and running their way, "Lin! Lin! Did you see?"

She hadn't yet seen the year eleven roster, but could tell from the enormity of Kya's smile that she would be filling the waterbending slot, "You made the team?" she assumed flatly as Kya approached, gripping Lin's shoulders and jumping in place.

"And so did you!" Kya yelped in excitement.

Lin's jaw dropped, "Are you kidding me?"

Year eleven was as far as a student could go in competitive bending before they were forced to pursue it outside the walls of Yu Dao Preparatory. Kya grabbed Lin's hand and ran back toward the postings, gracefully navigating the surrounding crowd to prove her claim.

Tenzin followed suit, having to stand on the tips of his toes to see Lin's name over the top of her head. Kya drew Lin into a hug, "I am so glad we are on a team together, sis!"

"I am so glad I'm on a higher ranking team than Karuna," Lin replied, voice equally joyful.

Kya's attention turned to her younger brother, "I guess this means you'll have to break down and finally attend some matches this year."

Tenzin shook his head wistfully, "I can't believe you of all people are into competitive bending," he spotted Bumi approaching and tipped his head in his brother's direction, "now Bumi on the other hand, I can understand."

"It's fun, Tenzin," Kya stressed.

While it was true that her personality type leant itself to bookish and philosophical pursuits, Kya was a firm believer that a human being ought to experience every facet of life as fully as possible and she refused to be categorized as one thing or the other. She was a free-spirit, eager to learn all she could about the world around her- and occasionally that included blasting water in some other girl's face.

"Fun?" Bumi interjected, stepping into their circle, "Tenzin is allergic to that stuff."

Tenzin scowled, but Bumi continued, "I see you are going to be with the year eleven girls. Nice work, Beifong."

Lin eyed him dubiously, "I want to say thank you, but I feel like I'm being set up for a joke."

"No joke," Bumi insisted raising his hands in innocence, "I'm really impressed and not very surprised, considering how insane your training is."

The thought of training caused Lin to yawn, remembering she had indeed been up before the sun deflecting sheets of rock, shot across the yard courtesy of her mother.

Kya was nodding in agreement, "but I still think we should start training as a team as soon as possible. Maybe we can run some drills on Saturday?"

"Can't," Lin replied, "some guy is coming to talk to me about my grandfather's will."

"What about after?" Kya followed.

Lin looked over at Tenzin and then back at his sister, unsure if she should reveal their plan to ride their bikes into the low hills just outside the city limits to find a good spot for gliding.

"It's okay," Tenzin provided, "you should probably practice."

Bumi's eyes darted between them, curiously, "Oh-ho-ho, are we breaking up a date?"

Lin and Tenzin both guffawed and stepped apart, looking horrified by the idea, "Yeah right," Lin scoffed.

Though, in the past year, their friendship had changed drastically. What once was simple, now was muddled and awkward. Tenzin and Lin had always been close, always been together, always easy in each other's company. But lately, Tenzin became nervous when left alone with her. He was holding back during their sparring sessions and his changing voice cracked twice as often when they spoke.

Lin constantly feared that this change was because Tenzin might be on to her darkest secret. Against her will, she had developed an obsession with the idea of being touched by him. It didn't matter how. Often times during the day, her mind would wander into scenarios in which he might have reason to hold her hand or gently tuck an unruly strand of hair behind her ear. Generally, she shrugged these ideas off when they came to her, but on one occasion he did reach up to wipe a smear of dirt from her cheek after a sparring session. She chastised him for touching her at the time, but replayed the moment in her mind a thousand times before bed each night that week. Little did she know, their obsession with this moment was shared. It was also the reason he gave her an easy way out of their weekend plans.

"I can probably come over after," Lin agreed finally.

"Perfect!" Kya beamed.

Lin wasn't the only one struggling to find time to accommodate Mr. Kenji Hito. The estate lawyer was due to arrive at Toph's home precisely at ten in the morning. Unfortunately, it was 9:45 and Toph was at least a twenty minute walk from home. She was also standing over a dead body.

The victim was one of her officers. It seemed like just yesterday Zhang had been asking to be moved from training duty to undercover work. Against her better judgement, Toph had granted his request. She couldn't recall regretting something this badly in her entire life.

"You okay, Chief?"

It was Kato. His voice was quiet and careful, as if raising it an octave would put her on the ground right beside Zhang.

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. It was a simple answer, but all she needed to say. One of her officers, one of her friends, was lying at her feet- like a bundle of fallen leaves, once vibrant with life that now curled in at the edges, browning with decay. She sensed his body there, but nothing more- none of the cogs inside were ticking away. It was as if her seismic sense had a hiccuped, missing the obvious thrumming beat of a heart.

The ground was silent.

"I'd say it's pretty clear they figured him out," Kato continued.

Toph had been briefed the moment she walked in the door. Though she couldn't see it, Zhang's body was marked with the symbol for 'traitor' in red paint.

It was in the back room of a noodle house the police had reason to believe was a waypoint in smuggling heroin. Zhang had been working undercover here as a dishwasher for the past six months, reporting regularly that they were, in fact, onto something. It appeared as if the Ah Kong gang was running drugs through here, but Zhang hadn't been able to make sense of the hints he was getting. It seemed he finally connected the dots last night and it had cost him his life.

The sound of a camera bulb snapping pulled Toph from her thoughts, "We can finish up here, Chief," Kato explained, "I know you have somewhere to be. Sorry to call you in on your day off."

Toph put up a hand to silence him, "No, it's fine. Have we sent someone to inform his family yet?"

"I'm heading over to speak with his wife after-"

"I'll go," she interrupted, "I should be the one to do it."

"If you think it's best," Kato digressed with a nod.

Dread paved a path to Zhang's home, making the fifteen minute walk feel as if it lasted a lifetime. She thought about taking Ho-Tun with her, but realized that would only add to the feeling of impending doom which unfurled before her with every step. Instead, Kato joined her- quietly preparing in his own way to console and advise Zhang's grieving family.

Toph could hear his children playing inside before reaching up to knock. The sound of his wife's shuffling feet filled her senses and the door swung open.

"Chief Beifong?" Her voice cracked when she spoke, the mere presence of Toph confirming her worst fears.

Toph swallowed, "Mitsuko, I'm afraid I have some bad news..."

It was all she had to say to turn Zhang's wife into a sobbing mess. She fell to the ground with a strangled cry and her small children instantly crowded around.

"Mom? What's wrong? Mom?"

The sound of their innocent voices made Toph's lip quiver. Her eyes stung, but she pressed on, "Mitsuko, I want you to know that he was one of the bravest men I've ever had the honor of serving alongside."

There was nothing but sobbing.

"And I promise I will not rest until whoever did this is brought to justice."

Mitsuko continued to wail from somewhere below, now chorused by her nervous children. The words she uttered were unintelligible through their shared fog of grief.

"Officer Kato will be acting as your liaison," Toph continued stoically, "he will be here for any questions you might have..."

And finally the dam burst and she had to bite her lip before croaking, "I am so sorry."

Kato pat her shoulder before leaning down to embrace Zhang's wife, "Come on. Shhh. Let's get you something to drink," he advised in a soothing whisper. Slowly, he was able to collect her, children still attached, and begin moving the family back into the house. Toph took a step to follow.

"Go on, Chief," Kato said with a small nod, "I can take it from here. Go home to your family."

It was a statement that spoke volumes of their relationship. Her officers were family in a sense, but Kato knew her thoughts were with Lin and Sokka. He was correct- the ease with which she imagined Kato standing on her very own doorstep delivering news of this sort to Sokka was alarming. She reached out, finding Mitsuko's balled fists and covered them with her own hands.

"You have my word," she told her solemnly, "please don't hesitate to call if there is anything you or your family need."

Though Mitsuko nodded, Toph perceived only silence and let go of her hands before making her way back out the door.

Having delivered the news of death to one family, she was anxious to be done with such bleak dealings for the day. Unfortunately, the estate lawyer would be awaiting her arrival- armed with a list of final wishes and tiresome logistics.

Her body and soul were drained by the time she arrived, only forty-five minutes late. She entered the house and heard the murmuring of polite conversation drifting down the hall from the dining room. The place smelled of jasmine tea and awkward formality.

She took a deep breath before braving the crowd. When she stepped into the room, looking as even as possible, the sound of tea cups being placed back onto their saucers chimed around her.

"Mrs. Beifong," greeted an unfamiliar voice she correctly identified as Kenji Hito. He stood and bowed before noting her clouded eyes and coloring slightly.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized, finding her seat between Lin and Sokka.

"Are you okay?" Sokka whispered just as Hito waved her apology away with deference.

Toph said nothing, but heard Lin mutter under her breath, "nice of you to finally show up."

Toph resisted the urge to stick a nice, hard bar of soap in Lin's mouth and smiled weakly at the estate lawyer instead, "If you don't mind I'd like to get through this as quickly as possible."

"Certainly," he replied, pulling a leather bound case onto the table and withdrawing several papers.

He cleared his throat, "There isn't much to go over as Mr. Lapoochee's final testament expressly states that he wishes to leave the entirety of his liquid assets to his grand-daughter, Lin Beifong," he explained with a nod in Lin's direction.

"How much is that?"

Hito shifted nervously and turned the top paper around so it could be easily read- Lin's eyes bugged and Sokka's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Well?" Toph wondered aloud.

"Right," Hito recovered, "that would be on the order of sixty million yuan."

Toph nodded, apparently unfazed, "is this an immediate transfer or over time?"

"The transfer of the total sum will be due in your account within a month as you are custodian to Lin until she is a legal adult."

Toph nodded again, "Okay, so how does this contract signing work?"

"One of us will read the document aloud to you and I will act as a notary- witnessing that you gave your husband permission to sign on your behalf," Hito explained.

"Okay. Lin, you want to read it?"

Lin lifted the paper and began rattling off the legalese, pausing to make a pained expression when she reached her grandfather's full name, "Moochee Goochee LaPoochee... the Second? Seriously?"

Toph shrugged, "Your Dad is the Third. You see now why there was no argument when I wanted to give you my family name."

Lin's head shook in disbelief before continuing. When she reached the signature line, her brow furrowed, "Excuse me...Mr. Hito?"

"Yes?" Hito replied.

"What did he leave my father?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"It says here that he left me the liquid assets and he left his property to this Mui Tsai woman who worked for him..." Lin explained, "but it says nothing about what he left to his son."

"Mr. Lapoochee elected to leave your father out of his will," Hito told her, looking uncomfortable.

Lin set the paper back onto the table, "Why?"

"I am unaware of his reasoning-" Hito began before Toph cut across him.

"They didn't get along," she stated factually, "So- now do I just say that I give Sokka the right to sign for me?"

"This is ridiculous!" Lin scoffed, "Mom-"

Toph sighed, "We can talk about this later, Lin."

"No," Lin insisted, becoming more agitated with every passing second, "I mean...can I just give some of it to my Dad then?"

"It doesn't work quite like that..." Hito began and again was cut short by Toph.

"He left your Dad out for a reason, Lin."

"Well, it's a stupid reason," she argued emphatically, Toph heard her draw a breath that indicated she wasn't finished and reached a hand out to grip her arm.

"I said we will talk about it later. I'm sure Mr. Hito is eager to get on with his day."

Lin's eyes flashed violently, "I'm sure he is, but you kept him waiting here with us for over an hour!"

"Okay, Lin. That's enough," Sokka sighed.

"No!" she insisted, voice rising. "She always does this!"

Hito looked between the three of them awkwardly as Lin pulled away from her mother's grip and stood, "You're always too busy! I had to change my plans, I'm sure Sokka had something else he could be doing! But you leave and then come in an hour late and tell me to stop asking questions so that you can get on with your day? It's so selfish!"

"Selfish?" Toph asked quietly. It was the kind eerie of quiet that proceeded a particularly nasty gale and Sokka gripped the edge of the table to brace himself. "You want to know why I was late, Lin?"

"Because you only ever think about yourself-" Lin provided defiantly.

"Because one of my officers was murdered."

Lin's face fell and the room went entirely silent, "I didn't-"

"One of my officers was murdered and I had to go tell his wife and his three children, all of them less than eight years old, that they would never see him alive again," there was a pause, as Lin's guilt sank in, "so I'm sorry if you had to reschedule skipping stones or whatever you and Tenzin had planned today. And Mr. Hito- my deepest apologies for keeping you waiting. It was entirely selfish of me."

Hito looked as if he might faint and Sokka waved his hands as if to clear the entire conversation, "Okay, I think we've made Mr. Hito sufficiently uncomfortable."

Mr. Hito shook his head, gracefully pretending to be unaffected as Sokka reached over and signed the bottom of the papers, "I"m very sorry about all this," he grumbled as he handed the papers back to the estate lawyer.

"It is quite alright," he insisted kindly as he placed the papers back inside his leather case. Hito stood and bowed, "You should receive a letter upon transferring of the funds. If you don't see this letter by the end of next month, please alert me."

Sokka nodded, "Thank you."

"Ladies," Hito said with another bow.

Sokka stepped around the table, "I'll show you out."

The two men left the room, which was now filled with strained silence. Toph sat in her chair, staring forward with a blank expression as Lin remained at her side, arms folded, wet eyes threatening tears.

"Mom, I didn't realize-" Lin began, carefully.

"That's right you didn't. You never realize. You just jump in and start complaining without ever asking a single question. Who the hell do you think you are coping that attitude with me?" Toph demanded.

"You kept us waiting," Lin explained with a hint of remorse, "I was mad because I cancelled my plans-"

"Ha! What did you have to do today that was so important, Lin? Really?"

"You think nobody else's lives are important," Lin argued as a few tears slipped out, "I'm sorry we can't all be war heroes like you at thirteen."

Sokka reentered the room, finding it even more tense than when he left, "Well, I think we owe that man a formal apology."

"Oh! Because I made him so uncomfortable because I was concerned for my Dad?" Lin spat defensively.

"I didn't say it was just you," Sokka reasoned with exasperation.

"It's what you meant," she griped.

"No, no," Toph interjected sarcastically, placing one hand flat against her chest earnestly, "it was my selfishness."

Lin rolled her eyes and scoffed, though tears ran silently down her cheeks, "I guess I'll go to my room now. You don't have to go through the formality of grounding me."

"You aren't grounded," Toph announced with a patronizing shake of her head, "in fact, it would be a huge relief to get you out of the house for awhile."

Lin grunted in disbelief and held out an arm at her mother as if to display the basis of her argument to Sokka.

He followed the hurt in her eyes all the way to Toph's stoic face and sighed, "Toph..."

"No," Lin insisted, "I'll go. I don't want to be here anyway!"

She tore her jacket off the back of a chair and stormed out into the hallway, slamming the front door with such force that the pictures on the wall nearly shook right off their nails. Toph's arms crossed and she blew out an aggravated breath, setting her lips into a pout.

"Brat," she sighed.

Sokka rubbed his temples in an effort to ward off the headache that loomed, "She didn't know," he excused.

"Exactly," Toph agreed, "She needs to learn to think before she speaks."

He pulled out the chair that Lin had recently vacated and took a seat beside his wife, gathering her hand in his own. He gave it a sympathetic pat, "Who was it?"

"Zhang," she replied, letting her head dip forward and rest against the table. Sokka reached up to rub her back with his free hand.

"I'm sorry," he consoled.

"I'm giving myself one day," she told him, voice muffled, "one day to feel sorry. Starting tomorrow I'm not allowing myself another emotion until I have whoever is responsible for this behind bars."

Sokka's head tilted thoughtfully, "Yeah, that sounds perfectly healthy."

"You know what I mean," she sighed.

"Do one more thing for me before you go into Chief mode," he asked, settling his head along the table. She turned to face him, never lifting her head, "talk to Lin. Settle...whatever it is that has been going on between you two."

Toph let out an extended breath, "it's like she's trying to get under my skin."

"I think she feels the same way," Sokka replied. There was a beat of silence, "Please? For the sake of my headaches?" he urged.

"Too much meat in that head," Toph laughed, bringing up one hand to massage his scalp, "yeah okay. I'll try to talk to her."

"Ahh, thank you," Sokka sighed, closing his eyes as he melted into her hands.

The wheels on Lin's bicycle spun round, propelled by her furious feet. The city flew past, blurred by both her speed and her tears. She couldn't be sure when their relationship changed, only that it had. Her mother used to be her hero and she supposed that still held true. Perhaps that was the problem. Reality was catching up with the tall tales she heard about her famous mother growing up. Toph remained the greatest earthbender in the world, but she had flaws too- and Lin had to admit she was beginning to notice them. Worst still, she was beginning to resent them.

They weren't flaws in the traditional sense. Many people would consider these flaws some of her best traits, renaming them as words of praise such as "dedication." But, Toph's dedication to her job and her city felt suspiciously like neglect to Lin. Republic City was like an attention seeking sibling that required all of her mother's love and energy, leaving little left over.

The day Lin discovered she had made the year eleven bending team Sokka picked her up from Air Temple Island. When she told him the news, he was overjoyed- telling her it was cause for celebration. He took her out to her favorite restaurant and they talked endlessly about the upcoming season. His excitement, however genuine, was no replacement for her mother's input which she desired above all else. It would have to wait- Toph was working late as usual and didn't find out the good news until nearly midnight.

"Good job, baby girl. Same same," she said, but she said it with a yawn that seemed to take all of the enthusiasm out of her words.

Lin went to sleep that night shortly after, feeling as if anything she achieved, no matter how spectacular, would put her in the "same, same" category as her legendary mother.

All these thoughts ran through her mind as she zipped through the streets of towering skyscrapers, finally emerging along the bayside path. She sobered herself at the sight of her destination. Air Temple Island sat back from the mainland, looking majestic in the sparkling autumn sun.

She swallowed her self-pity as she turned onto the dock, tires thumping across the rickety wood all the way out to the ferry. She carried her bike onboard and sat awkwardly beside several acolytes, looking serious.

When the ferry arrived, she disembarked, pedaling up the main path and leaving the acolytes behind at the fork. As she came up to the main house, she hopped off her bicycle- letting it run directly into a heap of bikes belonging to her friends. She didn't bother knocking as she entered the Avatar's home.

"Oh, hi sweetheart," Katara greeted her from down the hallway. From the front door, Lin's line of sight ran straight into the kitchen where she spotted Katara at the table, showing Kya and their firebending teammate Rizu, how to weave traditional watertribe bracelets.

"Hi," Lin walked forward, feeling a small sting of jealousy at the sight of mother and daughter not only existing in the same space peacefully, but enjoying one another's company. Her thoughts were interrupted by Rizu blurting, "Woah, you're like, an actual kid."

Lin's eyes narrowed and her lip curled into a snarl. Though she knew of Rizu, the two had never actually spoken due mostly to their age difference. She assumed Rizu was not expecting their new teammate to be quite so young.

"A kid that could wipe the floor with you," Lin returned, unwilling to suffer anyone else's attitude today.

Looks were exchanged as Katara interjected, "Lin, honey, I think what Rizu means is that she is surprised someone your age is talented enough to make the year eleven team," she glanced at Rizu with a nod, "right?"

Rizu looked from Katara to Lin skeptically, "yeah, okay."

Kya sighed and pushed her chair out, standing, "well now that the two of you have met, how about we get some practice in?"

The three girls made their way out into the courtyard and Lin's arms remained crossed as they walked. Kya took the lead, explaining the drills they ought to run- originally at least. It soon became clear as the girls fanned out, exchanging attacks in a a small scrimmage, that the youngest one was directing the show.

"Kya - eyes forward," Lin commanded. Kya looked up, mildly surprised at the order, but stopped short of arguing because she was in fact watching her hands and not her opponents. She shot a blast of water in Lin's direction instead, but it was cut in half and slowed by the earthen disc that connected with her abdomen a moment later. Kya was thrust backward by the force of it and Rizu called out the sound of the alarm with a chuckle.

"Damn, kid," she addressed Lin as Kya collected herself from the ground, "you're ruthless."

Lin shrugged, simultaneously pleased and embarrassed by her teammates' assessment, "I'm just playing the game."

Rizu nodded, "that's for sure," she laughed, moving to take a sip of water. Kya, having regained her breath made her way to Lin, leaning in with concern.

"You okay, sis?"

"I'm fine."

"You seem a little-"

"Can we just get on with practice?"

Kya looked at the ground and then back up at Lin, "sure."

It wasn't long before the girls began attracting attention. Bumi appeared in short order, taking a seat along the sidelines to heckle them mercilessly. He booed and hissed while enjoying his lunch, laughing at his own jokes until he was silenced by a jolt from the earth below, causing him to bite his tongue.

Eventually, Aang and Tenzin ambled over, having just finished their own airbending practice. Aang stood in, one man acting as the opposing team, sparring with the girls as Tenzin sat beside Bumi.

It was moderately helpful, having the Avatar as a sparring partner, but the challenge was taken out of the situation when he kindly softened the blows or made some kind of puppet out of his elements to amuse. Their session was finally called by Kya who groaned in exhaustion when she saw a dragon shaped earth disc heading her way as her father announced, "Chomp Chomp Chomp! He's coming for you, Ky! Watch ouuuut!"

Kya blasted the offending visage with a burst of water and sighed, "Thanks Dad, but I think we're going to call it a day."

"Are you sure? I can teach you girls some airbending techniques that might make you a little quicker on your toes," he offered sweetly as the three sweaty teammates downed their cups of water with vigor.

"It's okay, Dad, but thank you," Kya replied, gasping for air as her cup was drained.

"Yeah, I think earthbending is too bulky for that," Lin agreed quietly as Tenzin and Bumi came up beside them.

"Are you kidding? You are so graceful," Tenzin blurted, looking immediately embarrassed by his outburst. Aang raised his eyebrows, opening his arm in Tenzin's direction to indicate the truth of his statement. Bumi looked as if he were suppressing a particularly determined laugh as Kya and Rizu made eyes at one another.

It was enough to turn Lin's face from red to deep purple with embarrassment. Sympathetic as she was, Kya interjected, "I think we'll just go in and get cleaned up."

"Okay, you know where to find me if you need me," Aang relented with a kind smile.

As the girls made their way back to the main house Lin swore she heard Bumi swoon, "Oh Lin, you're soooo graceful," followed swiftly by the sound of rushing air and Bumi hitting the pavement.

They made their way to Kya's room, gathering around the mirror. Rizu was quick to find numerous flaws in her appearance and commented on each of them with a scowl.

"My skin sucks," she grumbled, turning her head from side to side.

"At least yours isn't oily like mine," Kya sighed.

Between them Lin glimpsed her own reflection and frowned, falling back onto Kya's bed with a wistful sigh. If the two older and decidedly more voluptuous girls on her team felt unattractive she didn't dare consider what they might make of her tangled hair and knock-knees.

"What's wrong Lin?" Kya asked, watching her through the mirror.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rizu answered, "she's in love."

"Gross," Lin snarled, "I am not."

"Well, I think Tenzin will be sad to hear that," Rizu commented, shifting her weight as she turned to face Lin with a skeptical look.

"Hey now," Kya began, " everyone is always trying to push them together. Just because my little brother has a crush on Lin doesn't mean she's required to return his feelings." Lin's heart pounded so loud it began echoing in her skull. Briefly, she feared the others could hear it beating away as Kya finished her statement, "Don't worry, sis. I won't put you in that box."

Lin tried to swallow, but her reflex was blocked by the lump of nerves clogging her throat, "Thank you," she managed to croak after a moment. She remained lying down, attempting to appear passive and unaffected by their conversation. In reality, she felt on the verge of a panic attack as giddiness and obstinance mixed and bubbled inside her stomach.

"Well there must be somebody you've got your eye on," Rizu insisted, "you're at that age."

Lin shrugged, "It's not like that, I'm just one of the guys."

Rizu gave her a condescending laugh, eyeing her up and down critically, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you don't have the right equipment."

Lin curled her lip, "I mean boys don't really think of me that way."

It was somewhat true. The combination of Lin's rough demeanor and acerbic wit made her an intimidating target. Boys avoided flirting with her, not because she was unattractive, but because they dreaded the inevitable bruising of their delicate egos as she invariably took the upper hand with a well-placed quip.

Rizu grabbed a chair and dragged it over to Kya's bed, motioning for Lin to sit up, "you just need a little assistance."

Lin complied, though she did so with a roll of her eyes. Kya waggled her eyebrows at Lin as Rizu pulled a tube of lipstick from her pocket, carefully applying crimson to her dry lips.

Rizu pulled back to admire her handiwork, "See? That makes a world of difference," she surmised, grasping Lin's chin to turn her face in the direction of the mirror.

The image took Lin by surprise, because while her appearance went largely unchanged, she did somehow feel exponentially more attractive. There was something intriguing about the way the starkness of her red lips contrasted the paleness of her face. It was as if the lipstick were announcing the presence of this mouth, which was suddenly ready to be kissed.

Outwardly, she quirked an eyebrow, looking wholly unimpressed, "It's alright."

Rizu nodded knowingly and placed the tube in Lin's hand, "you can keep it."

"I don't need this," Lin argued weakly.

"It looks really cute on you," Kya offered with a nod.

"I insist," Rizu maintained.

Lin slipped the tube into her own pocket and stood with a sigh, "I better go. I'm already in trouble- if I miss dinner..." she trailed off and Kya nodded, realizing quickly what had been bugging Lin all along.

"Ok. Good practice- let's try to get a couple more in before our first match," Kya reminded as Lin made her way to the door.

"Sounds good," Lin replied, "nice to meet you Rizu. And thanks for the lipstick."

"No problem, kid."

Lin slipped through the door, making her way down the hall, a changed woman. Though the lipstick covered her lips only, its presence affected her entire being. She exuded confidence, standing upright and proud as her normal gait acquired the slightest swiveling of hips. She looked good, she knew it, and she had the approval of older, popular girls to back her claim.

Outside, she hopped on her bike, catching her reflection in the handlebar and giving herself a playful little pout before pedaling her way across the courtyard. Along the main path she passed Tenzin, who waved at her awkwardly. She returned his gesture with a wink which was instantly followed by the panicked realization that she had just winked at Tenzin.

Why in the world did she wink at Tenzin?

Her confidence completely drained, along with any color that once tinged the apples of her cheeks as her bike rolled onto the dock. Briefly, she considered letting it continue right off the edge and into the bay, but came around just in time to catch the ferry. The entire ride home was composed of muttered obscenities, self-chastising, and frustrated grunts. Upon arriving home, Lin dumped her bike at the door, stalked into the house past her mother and Sokka- making her way directly to her room. The door closed with a deafening slam and Lin threw herself on the bed, burying her face in the pillow to unleash an ear-splitting scream.

Toph paused, turning to Sokka, "What the..."

Sokka's eyes widened and he shrugged, leaning in close to whisper, "I think she's wearing lipstick."

"Again, I ask, what the..."

"I don't know," Sokka returned, an amused laugh on the edge of his lips, "but have fun with your talk."

Toph deflated at the thought, wondering aloud if she could put off bridging the gap between them until a more opportune moment presented itself.

Sokka shook his head, slipping one arm around her shoulders, "I'm afraid all moments are going to be like this from now on, Toph."

"I know," she spat, attempting to wriggle from his grasp, "you don't have to sound so happy about it."

He laughed again, heartily, and kissed her temple quickly before she finally broke away. Toph made her way to Lin's door tentatively, listening to the ground beneath her feet explain that Lin was indeed in bed and alarmingly quiet.

She drew a deep breath, reminding herself to stay calm and behave naturally before opening the door.

"Hey baby girl, we gotta talk," Toph announced as she breezed into the room.

Lin rolled over and scowled at the intruder, "don't you knock?"

"Not in my own house," Toph replied quickly, taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

Lin rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She noticed the small red smear her lipstick had left across the pillow and wiped at it with her thumb, giving it the whole of her attention.

"So what's going on with you lately?" Toph asked.

Lin's green eyes narrowed in disbelief, having been torn from the stain on her pillow by shock alone. The problem was asking after itself and Lin couldn't reconcile the irony. A laundry list of rebuttals ran through her mind, but eventually she settled on, "nothing."

"Insightful," Toph exhaled sarcastically. She reached out to rub her daughter's back as in days gone by, but found her hand being pushed away.

"Hey," Toph groaned, annoyed.

"I don't want you to rub my back, mother," Lin protested, petulantly.

"Well what do you want? Honestly. Please tell me, I have no idea what in the world is going on with you anymore. It's like a complete stranger has moved into my house and I have no idea who you are or what you want!"

Lin crossed her arms and sighed. Honestly, she didn't know what she wanted either. Short of the ability to go back in time and stop herself winking at Tenzin, of course. At her core, she simply wanted to be accepted for herself and not held up to her mother for comparison. She wanted her own life, she wanted respect, and she wanted her mother to understand all this without being told.

She looked up into her mother's vacant eyes, coming to terms with the fact that Toph would never just read her expression and understand without a word. She would have to talk, but it wasn't going to be easy.

"I guess," Lin began quietly, picking at a loose thread on her pillowcase, "I guess I just wish you were around more."

Toph nodded, "I wish that too, kiddo. I really do. But you have to understand I have a responsibility to my officers. Especially at a time like this when one of our friends has been killed-"

"I didn't know that, okay?" Lin interrupted with exasperation.

"I know you didn't," Toph replied.

"Why don't you just quit. You can have my money," Lin countered, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. It was the wrong thing to say.

Toph stiffened, instantly triggered by the assumption that money solved all the problems in the world. It was a credo she grew up with, but one she quickly grew out of. The burden of wealth was a good burden to have, but Toph found it to be a burden none the less.

"Let me make something perfectly clear to you, Lin," she began sharply, "you are not your money. The number of yuan you have in the bank in no way reflects your worth, understood?"

"Mom, it was a joke," Lin snapped, immediately regretting her words. It was this type of misunderstanding that drove their wedge deeper everyday.

"Yeah, well, you need to work on your routine, kid," Toph returned instantly.

They both went quiet then, making every effort to hold their tongues. The silence lingered and Toph finally broke it by letting out a breath and standing, "Listen, this attitude or whatever it is ain't working for me, okay? We need to be on the same page. I promise I'm going to ease off you a little, alright?"

Lin nodded, "I'm sorry about your officer."

"Yeah, me too," Toph agreed wistfully, reflecting on the task ahead for a moment before remembering where she was. She smiled a bit, changing the subject, "Sokka said you were wearing lipstick?"

Lin cringed and covered her face, though her mother couldn't see her anyway, "Rizu put it on me!"

"Who is Rizu?"

"She's the firebender on my team," Lin explained, bringing her hands away from her face finally. Toph's eyebrows went up, suddenly remembering that Lin was in fact on a competitive bending team.

"Oh right," she covered, "when is your first match? I'll have to make sure to take that night off."

"Friday," Lin replied.

"Friday it is then," Toph nodded, making her way to the door. Her hand reached out, grabbing Lin's worn out old plush badgermole from her desk and tossing it in her direction playfully, "and get that lipstick off your face, you're a kid."

"I'm thirteen," Lin shouted with a small laugh, catching the badgermole just as it made contact with the side of her head. She launched it back in Toph's direction, missing her by a hair.

"Exactly," Toph returned, "now come out here and have some dinner."

The following week was a blur for both Lin and her mother. Lin was sure she hadn't done anything aside from practice her bending and attend classes. It was a solid routine that left no space for sleep or socializing. Luckily, their team of three bonded quickly in spite of the age difference. A new social circle was formed and at the epicenter was the womanly tutelage of Rizu. Each practice came with a new lesson in femininity; make-up, clothing, or hair maintenance were the subjects Lin would pretend to be bored by, while quietly soaking it in like a sponge. Kya took pleasure in the development of this mentorship- it was something she felt Lin had been lacking and it was plain to see Rizu took great pride in sharing the secrets of womanhood with her clueless young teammate. It was the oddest thing- though she was sleep deprived and worn, Lin began looking a little more attractive with every passing day.

The same could not be said for her mother, a natural beauty, who suffered greatly at the hands of exhaustion. Toph was not sleeping much either and had very little use for any make-up that might disguise the dark circles beneath her clouded eyes. It was all the same to her, however, and she had very little idea how tired she appeared because her husband was constant support. Though she saw him for only a minute or two before falling asleep each night, he assured her that she was just beautiful as the day before this one, and the day before that.

He did worry about the hours she was keeping, throwing herself selflessly into the investigation of Zhang's murder. He mentioned his concern to her, late at night in bed, but was met with the incoherent mumblings of a marginally conscious, indignant police chief in response. The longest they saw one another all week was Wednesday evening at Zhang's funeral. Toph stood stoically at the side of his casket, unwavering in her dedication even through her fatigue. Beside her stood Sokka, unwavering in his.

All of her hard work paid off in spades within the week. It was late afternoon on Friday when they brought in Zhang's murderer. Chong Mun came through the doors of Police Headquarters kicking and screaming that they would pay. It was the kind of thing that got Toph's blood pumping- a good old fashioned threat, shouted by a man; bound and impotent.

"You got a pretty loud bark for a guy that can't even scratch his own balls," Toph reminded him snidely, nodding that the metal cables that restrained his hands.

"I am in charge of more than a thousand arms," he told her with a snarl, "and every one of them will be out for your neck you blind bitch!"

Toph threw her head back in a laugh and stomped the ground once- causing him to sink into the stone flooring of the interrogation room. His body entirely submerged, she made her way to him, resting one metal encased foot on the crown of his head, bending it back slightly. Kato and Ho-Tun stood by, neither making the slightest move to stop her. The truth of it was, they all wanted to see this man pay in the most brutal way possible.

"You killed my friend," she told him in a low voice.

"I'll kill you too," he insisted, even in his compromised position.

Toph sighed, turning his head with the side of her foot, "I could kill you right now."

"Then do it," Chong Mun insisted bitterly.

Her foot slid down his face, slamming onto the ground again- popping him back to the surface, "Nah," she decided, "like I always tell my kid, 'I want you to think about what you've done.' Lock him up."

Kato nodded, lifting Chong Mun's uncooperative body from the ground by his cuffs. He dragged the man out, leaving Toph and her second in command alone.

"Get Mitsuko on the line for me, will you?" she asked, feeling the full weight of an entire week's worth of sleepless nights settle inside her chest.

The first phone call she made was bittersweet- Mitsuko sobbed on the other end of the line, thanking Toph in gasps of breath. It was with a melancholy smile that she ended the call with Zhang's widow.

Her second phone call began on a much more satisfying note.

"Councilman Sokka's office," greeted the chipper voice of her husband's secretary, Thuy.

"Hi Thuy- is my ball and chain available?"

There was a small laugh, "He certainly is, Chief Beifong. Can you hold?"

"No problem."

The line was silent a moment and then suddenly, in a low voice, "what are you wearing?"

"About six days worth of stale coffee and one very thick layer sweat," Toph replied, adopting her sultriest tone.

"Ooh, dirty," came Sokka's voice, "tell me more- but make it quick- my wife could be listening in."

"Oh no she isn't. She's far to busy at work," Toph returned, using her normal voice again.

"Oh?"

"We got the guy," she explained, letting her body relax.

"Zhang's guy?"

"Yep."

"That was quick!" Sokka replied, brightly.

"Yeah," Toph conceded, "would have been better if we'd picked him up a couple weeks ago."

There was a sigh on the opposite end, "Baby..."

"Yeah I know," Toph grumbled as she fiddled with the cord in her hands, "I did what I could."

"And you should be proud," Sokka continued, "that scumbag can't ruin anymore families because of you, okay? That is cause for celebration. We can celebrate your victory tonight over dinner."

"Can't," Toph supplied, "the logistics of this will have me here at least until midnight."

There was a pause, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Toph bit her lip, deep in thought, "Apparently," she conceded finally.

"Lin's bending match."

"Well, shit..." she groaned. She had entirely forgotten the promise she made and was sure that even if most of her work could be put off, the press conference at 8 o'clock could not.

"It's the first one of the season. She's going to have at least ten more, right?" Toph reasoned desperately.

"Just try to get there, will you?"

"I'll try," Toph agreed, knowing already it was a hollow sentiment.

"I knew she wasn't going to show," Lin mumbled, adjusting the strap of the gym bag along her shoulder. She and Sokka pushed through the doors of the gym and a small cloud of disappointment hung over them as they entered.

"Your Mom has a lot going on right now, at a very consuming job," Sokka reasoned sympathetically.

"Then maybe she should have thought about that before she had a kid," Lin returned as they walked toward the locker rooms. She looked up at Sokka, "and left you to raise it."

Sokka smiled, reaching out to tousle her hair, "I don't mind."

Lin ducked away, attempting a scowl that dissolved into a laugh. She nearly tripped over her own feet in the act and they both roared with laughter at her clumsiness.

"Oooh Beifong, you're sooo graceful," came a patronizing voice from behind. Lin and Sokka turned to see Bumi and his entire family approaching. Kya gave him a playful shove and moved ahead of the group, "Don't jinx her Bumi, we need her!"

Lin met Tenzin's eyes for an instant, both keenly aware of the source of Bumi's comment. Before her eyes had to find somewhere to settle, Aang rescued the moment by wishing both girls luck, "don't worry about winning! Just have fun."

Katara followed, "and make sure you have all your gear on. Kya? Did you remember your helmet, honey?"

"Right here, Mom," Kya confirmed, patting her bag.

"Alright, we'll see you girls out on the floor," she finished and Bumi came around to clasp Sokka's shoulder.

"Uncle Sokka, you want to split some fire flakes?"

"Pffft, split?" Sokka returned, incredulous.

They made their way off to the stands, leaving the girls to follow the path into the locker room. Lin waited for Kya to comment on Tenzin's presence and was grateful when it never happened. Past the double doors into the locker rooms was a long corridor, separating the boys and girls sides with entrance to the arena at the far end. Once inside they spotted Rizu, leaning against the wall, talking with a tall young man in a green bending uniform.

"Hey ladies," Rizu called, spotting them over his shoulder, "Ryuu- you already know Kya and this is our little mascot, Lin."

Just as Lin prepared to correct her teammate, Ryuu turned and she froze- caught in the blinding light of his perfection.

Lin was sure she had only seen men that looked like this on railway advertisements for tooth powder. His eyes were sparkling, but sensitive- his jawline chiseled, but friendly. She stared at him, mouth agape before catching herself as a puddle of saliva nearly spilled from the corner of her mouth.

He nodded by way of greeting, strong and silent- only adding to his mystery. The moment passed, but Lin was stuck there as he moved to pass the girls in the hall. He was three full strides away when she finally uttered, "hey," dumbly.

He didn't hear her and she decided, snapping out of her hypnosis, that she was thankful for this. Rizu looked from her face to Kya and the older girls giggled, "Yeah he's not all that bad to look at, " Rizu agreed.

"But not much of a conversationalist I'm afraid," Kya provided.

"True."

They continued into the locker room, changing into their gear quickly and stepping out onto the platform. As they waited for the alarm to sound, Lin scanned the crowd, spotting Ryuu posed to watch their match, but somehow still managing to appear aloof. She glanced to the side and noticed Tenzin reading a book. Her eyes rolled just as the alarm sounded and the girls sprang into action.

It was a quick match.

Lin got in the first few hits, gaining territory for Yu Dao. The small crowd gasped when she managed to dodge an earth disc only an inch from her head, spin herself around and redirect it to knock her counterpart clear off the platform.

"That's my kid!" she heard Sokka's voice proudly declare, "take 'em to the graveyard, Bones!"

But it was Rizu who came through in the end, burning the opposing team out in rapid succession, her ferocity catching both Kya and Lin by surprise. The alarm sounded and the girls made their way from the platform, dry as a bone.

Sokka was waiting on the sidelines to hug Lin and his niece. He grabbed the sides of Lin's helmet to butt his forehead against hers, "Boom! That's how its done!"

Lin laughed, removing her helmet to reveal a mess of hair that was alternately frizzy and sweat soaked, "what can I say?"

It was then that she noticed Ryuu approaching Rizu. Lin swallowed, feeling a pang of jealousy toward her teammate, keeping the pair in the periphery of her vision as they talked.

Tenzin arrived, blocking her view. She blew a strand of hair from her face, frustrated.

"Good job," he commended.

Lin scowled, "You didn't even watch." She shifted her weight, attempting to look casually past his shoulder.

"What?"

"I saw you reading," she explained in a dismissive breath. Her eyes darted back to Ryuu and Tenzin followed her line of sight, looking over his shoulder and then back to Lin.

"What are you looking at?"

"You," she snapped, before miming the opening and closing of a book, "See- I'm not even reading," she pointed out, caustically.

"What is your problem?" he returned, hotly.

"My best friend brought a book my first match," she answered instantly.

Tenzin's face twisted, caught between anger and hurt. He let go of a sigh, and his eyes shifted nervously, "I don't even like competitive bending," he explained timidly. The insinuation was of course, that he came to this match for the one thing he did like- Lin. His roundabout confession was lost on her and she scoffed instead of softened, "then maybe you shouldn't have come."

Tenzin's face reddened, "I certainly won't again."

"Fine with me," Lin shrugged casually.

"Good," Tenzin agreed defiantly.

Unaware of what she was walking into, Rizu leaned in between them, "Nice work, Beifong."

She smiled as Ryuu stood just behind her, waiting. It was then that Lin felt Sokka's heavy arm on her shoulder, "Yeah, she gets that from her Mama," Sokka agreed, reaching up to tousle her hair again, "right, Bones?"

Lin's stomach sank, mortified by the use of her nickname in front of Ryuu. A bony child was not the image she was attempting to project and the patronizing pat on the head wasn't helping her case much either. She let out a nervous chuckle of agreement, "I guess."

"Alright- we'll see you later," Rizu nodded, calling over her shoulder, "bye Kya!"

Tenzin used their departure to remove himself from their small circle just as Sokka launched into a list of praises and narrated replays. He was mid-sentence when Lin interrupted him, with pleading eyes, "Sokka?"

"Yeah?" he paused, arms posed to gesticulate his excitement further.

"Could you not call me Bones?"

His arms dropped, brow furrowing in concern as he studied her face. Finally he sighed and a knowing smile played on his lips, "Too old, huh?"

Lin shrugged, "yeah, a little."

He nodded, straightening the lapels of his jacket and reaching up to stroke his chin in mock sophistication, "As you wish, Ms. Beifong," he spoke dryly, bowing.

She knocked her shoulder against him with a laugh, "shut-up."

"My word," Sokka returned, "such language."

She laughed again as they began walking, following the whole crowd out the doors of the gym. Their entire group dined together that night to celebrate the first victory of the season, but the cheerful atmosphere fell flat for Lin, who was too busy stewing about her mother's absence and working herself into a worse mood by obsessing over her argument with Tenzin. They sat on opposite sides of the table, causing Aang's eyebrows to raise, but not a word was said.

When they finally arrived home for the evening, there was no evidence of Toph- still stuck at work. Lin kicked her shoes off, took a bath, and decided she would go directly to bed. It had been an exhausting day after all and she wasn't much in the mood to socialize on this particular Friday. Her temperament was too unpredictable, swinging wildly from from one emotion to the next so that in the end she decided unconsciousness was a far more agreeable alternative to human company.

"Going to bed already?" Sokka wondered, raising his eyebrows at Lin's nightwear, "you don't want to stay up and wait for your Mom? Tell her all about your first match?"

Lin scowled, offended by the notion, "Not even a little bit."

"Wow, okay. Yeah, you need some sleep," Sokka agreed, widening his eyes light-heartedly at her reaction, "Goodnight, Bon- I mean, Madame."

Lin rolled her eyes before making her way to her room and passing out almost as soon as her head met the pillow.

Sokka remained awake however, stealing glances at the phone while reviewing several plans for urban expansion. His eyes scanned the scrolls carefully, making notes to himself in the margins until his vision began to blur and his head pounded. He too made his way to bed, carrying a few scrolls under his arm. It wasn't long before he began to drift into sleep as he read.

He woke with a start, having heard what sounded like someone bumping their kitchen table. Wiping his eyes he looked around, "Toph?"

There was no reply, no spool of metal cable along her side of the bed to indicate she had arrived home at some point as he slept. He sat up, considering there was also no way in the world Toph would have ran into a table in their house of stone flooring. He stood, making his way quietly to the door. He poked his head into the darkened hallway and noticed Lin's door ajar.

It was then that his stomach sank and a chill worked its way up his spine, waking him fully.

Something was not right.

Lin never slept with her door open. Quietly, he unsheathed the sword that hung along the wall of his bedroom.

He crept down the hall slowly, heart pounding, praying silently that Lin had just been sleepwalking. Swallowing once, Sokka threw her door open- hitting the lights which illuminated the room.

A grown man stood over her sleeping form and Sokka's entire body was electrified with a ferocity he had never before experienced. He raised his sword, sure he would take this man's life. The man saw him too, and as soon as Sokka moved forward, the man's foot stomped the ground and the floor came up to greet him. It knocked Sokka back slightly and then closed him off, shunting him back into the hallway.

"Lin!" Sokka cried, slamming himself uselessly against the stone wall created by the earthbending intruder. The sounds on the other side were muffled but there was a sudden commotion and Sokka sprinted away down the hall, out the front door, and around to Lin's window.

He could see nothing but dust inside and he wasted no time, breaking the window and climbing in, cutting himself along the way. The adrenaline coursing throughout his body made it so that he hardly noticed and the sword he held slipped from his bleeding hand. It didn't matter, Sokka knew he could take this man down with his bare hands if need be.

He moved forward into the blinding cloud of dust just in time to see the man's body sailing past him, hitting the far wall. He was momentarily disoriented by this and Sokka took the opportunity to keep him down by sending a tremendous right hook in the direction of his chin. It connected with a deafening crack and the man was down again. Sokka's arm drew back, ready to send another blow his way when the legs of Lin's desk chair sailed past him, fastening themselves around the man's wrists and locking into the wall. A third piece of metal that looked as if it had once been part of the rack in Lin's closet flew by, collaring the man's neck so that he was held firmly in place.

He pushed forward against the metal bindings. Sokka saw a crack climb up the wall at his left wrist and immediately reached for his sword, turning it around and delivering one hard blow to the man's head with the blunt end. That finally knocked him out and Sokka took a breath as the dust settled.

He turned to find Lin, standing a few feet behind him, covered in dust and shaking like a leaf. He covered the space between them in one swift motion, gathering her to his chest and kissing the top of her head frantically.

"You okay? Did he hurt you?" Sokka asked, panicked. He pushed her back to see her face, taking it in his hands and turning it from side to side just to be sure.

"He didn't touch me," Lin replied in an uneven voice. She pulled her face away from his grip, smearing the blood from his wounds on her cheek, "Sokka, your hands are bleeding."

"I know, they're fine," he returned quickly, pulling her to him again, letting out a sigh of relief, "I love you, Lin."

"I love you too, Sokka," she told him, face pressed into his chest. She was crying before long and Sokka held her as she did. When she took a breath, he broke way, pulling her by the hand from her bedroom, leaving the intruder behind.

He went directly to the phone, "Operator? I need the police."

It was only ten minutes before their house was lit up as if it were daytime by the police airships, shining spotlights down upon them. Two metal cables shot out from the exit bay, carrying Toph to her destination. She hit the ground running, finding Sokka at the door and throwing her arms around him.

"I can't believe I wasn't here," she told him breathless, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine. We're fine," Sokka assured her.

"Where is she?" Toph asked quickly, breaking away.

"In the kitchen."

Toph made her way through the house on feet infused with quicksilver, rushing to touch her daughter, to feel the beating of her heart, to brush motherly fingers along her cheek, to hold the proof of her continued existence in her shaking arms.

Lin was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of green tea in her hands when Toph approached.

"Come here, baby girl," Toph sighed reaching out to touch Lin's face only to have her hand slapped away.

"Don't touch me," Lin snarled, pushing her chair out to stand. The rest of Toph's officers were passing in the doorway to retrieve the man in Lin's room. They respectfully kept their eyes forward as they moved through the house.

"Lin..." Toph sighed, stepping forward and reaching out to her again.

"No," Lin spat, backing away, "don't come in here acting like you care when the only way to get your attention is to call the emergency hotline!"

Toph stood before her, dumbfounded. She was not angry, there was no room for it beside her guilt, but she was speechless- unable to contradict her daughter on most of her accusation.

"Of course I care," Toph replied softly.

"You only care about your stupid job," Lin barked, crossing her arms.

Kato poked his head in, tentatively, "Chief?"

There was no immediate response. Toph was aware that any acknowledgement of her co-worker in this moment would be interpreted as her choosing the force over her family.

"Yes?" she asked, finally. Lin's shoulders sloped.

"Apparently this guy is Ah Kong. Orders came from Chong Mun."

Toph's blood boiled, "take him up to the airship."

Kato nodded.

The girls stood silently across from one another, tension twice as high as Toph ever thought possible. She didn't know what to say to make it better. There was no denying the modicum of truth in Lin's claim. Toph did care about her job, deeply. Her dedication only intensified in recent days, single-minded in her pursuit of Zhang's killer. Now, her family was suffering the consequences.

"Are you taking her statement, Chief?" Officer Chen asked, poking his head in and shattering their tangible silence.

Toph swallowed, "No, I'd like for you to do that, Chen."

Lin relaxed slightly, leaning back against the counter. Chen entered the room and pulled a chair away from the table, "Do you mind if we speak in here, Lin?"

"No," Lin told him, taking the seat across from him.

Toph lingered only a moment, realizing her presence was hindering the conversation. She departed, finding Sokka in the hallway.

When the logistics were squared away and the airship was ready to depart, Toph found herself wanting more than anything to be onboard, grilling this man who had violated her home, daring to attack her baby. On Sokka's advice, she declined to accompany them back to headquarters, deciding instead to follow up with Lin's attacker in the morning after some much needed rest.

Lin's room looked as if a natural disaster had torn through, so for tonight she relocated to their guest room, slamming the door in Toph's face when she asked, "Are you sure you want to be alone right now?"

The house was quiet and the gravel created by Lin's battle ground under Toph's feet as she finally walked the hall to her bedroom. She bent her uniform away, ready to collapse but found Sokka had drawn a bath for her instead.

The warm water did little to ease her tensed muscles and she pulled her robe on, feeling the weight of it as if it were her metal armor. She made her way to bed, finding Sokka fully awake, waiting patiently with bandaged hands. He pat the space beside him on the bed and she heard it, crawling in with a sigh.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Aren't you the one that got into a fight?"

Sokka shrugged, "you should see the other guy."

"Har, har," Toph deadpanned, pulling the blankets up to her chin.

Sokka rolled over, resting one arm across her abdomen, "talk to me."

Toph rolled onto her side to face him and a few tears spilled out of her eyes silently, "I'm glad you were here."

Sokka smiled, reaching out to brush the hair that fell in her face away to see her better, "To be honest, I don't think she needed me at all. That guy was pretty well taken care of by the time I got in there."

Toph smiled lightly and another tear made its way from here eye to her pillow, "baby girl," she mused affectionately, "putting the hurt in the dirt since 120 ASC."

Sokka nodded, leaning forward to kiss Toph's forehead and she spoke again, "you know- I'm not even upset that she's so angry with me. I'm just glad she's alive."

"It will pass, she's just shaken up," Sokka offered.

"Yeah," Toph agreed quietly, "I hope it does. I don't know what happened. She used to be like my little buddy. Always stuck to my side. I miss that kid."

"She's not a kid anymore," Sokka reminded her. Toph sighed, laughing a little as she rolled onto her back and wiped her eyes, "Spirits help us all."

They fell asleep shortly after and Toph was woken by the alarm not long after that. She bent her uniform back on and prepared for another day of work, but before she left she popped into the guest room to sit on the edge of the bed. She rested one hand on Lin's back, feeling gentle rise and fall of her breathing. She was reminded of the days when she would sit beside her crib, doing this same thing with one worried hand just to assure herself this little creature was alive. After awhile she leaned forward, pressing her lips to the crown of Lin's head carefully so as not to wake her. She shed a tear then at the realization that moments like these were fleeting and would probably only occur as Lin slept from this point forward. She let go of a melancholy sigh and stood, making her way to the door for another day of work.

Lin twisted and stretched in bed, it was nearly 9am and she was prepared to spend the entire day here. A light rain bounced off the windows of the guest room she occupied and she wondered idly if it was getting in her bedroom through the broken window across the hall. The thought of her waterlogged desktop didn't do much to stir her and she yawned and stretched again, gathering the blankets around her and sighing contentedly. Then, she cursed her bladder. She may want to spend all day in bed, but her body had other ideas. With a groan she rose, padding to the bathroom lazily.

It was here, that she discovered she was no longer a kid at all. She cursed under her breath as she examined the blood in her underwear. Lin groaned and scoured the bathroom cupboards for something that might prove useful. She came up empty handed and sighed, knowing her only course of action was to ask for help.

Emerging from the bathroom, she headed down the hallway to find Sokka, cleaning up her disheveled room.

"Morning," he greeted solemnly.

Lin leaned against the wall, unsure how to proceed. It wasn't a comfortable subject for her and she assumed that he might feel the same.

"Morning," she returned.

"You hungry?"

She shook her head and he looked up at her again, noticing something wasn't quite right, "Are you ok, Lin?"

She shrugged and looked about awkwardly, "I'm bleeding."

"What? Where?" he questioned, concerned. Lin's eyes widened a bit moved up and down to indicate what she'd rather not verbalize. Finally she said, "not from last night."

"Oh!" he gulped nervously, "Uh... well you know what to do about that?"

"Not really," she replied. His shoulders sloped in disappointment, "Of course you don't," he mumbled to himself as he stood.

"Let's go see what your Mom has," he offered walking toward the bathroom.

"There is nothing, I already checked," she told him. His eyes closed slowly and he exhaled in defeat.

"Of course there isn't" he grumbled. He opened his lids again and looked at her seriously, "Lin, I'm going to level with you here. I have no idea what to do except wait for your Mom or take you to Katara. Literally no idea," he repeated with a hand on her shoulder.

Lin groaned, "I can't wait around for my Mom, Sokka."

"To Air Temple Island we go then," Sokka announced.

It was an overcast day and the rain drizzled lightly upon them as they made their way to the Avatar's home. It was one of those days in which the island embodied the image of a proper air temple, shrouded in majestic-looking fog, solitary in the middle of the bay. Lin leaned against the rail of the ferry boat stuck between feeling dread and relief. This would all be settled shortly, but the price was having to talk about it with Katara. Sokka called ahead to tell her they were coming and Lin groaned inwardly when she heard Katara's voice on the other end of the line sounding rather excited for Lin's recent development. Her tone changed when Sokka explained what had transpired the night before. "I don't think she wants to talk about it," he warned his sister in a low voice, thinking Lin could not hear. She did though, and he was right.

Katara was waiting in the courtyard when they arrived, arms opened toward Lin with a smile across her face.

"All grown up," she said when she saw her and Lin scowled. "Oh don't pout," Katara instructed, pulling her into a hug, "you are becoming a woman! It's a celebration."

Her hug was a little tighter than usual, but Lin was grateful she didn't mention the break in. She wasn't ready to talk about it. Katara led them into the main house where they left Sokka in the living room.

Katara and Kya took Lin into the bathroom and explained various contraptions that would catch or block her blood in different ways and left her to choose which she felt comfortable with. When she exited the bathroom, both women were standing there eagerly awaiting her with their hands clasped before them.

"How did it go?" Kya asked.

"Fine I guess," Lin replied, looking between them.

"Ok, let me show you some home remedies for cramping you can use," Katara smiled grasping her hand and leading her into the kitchen. There she pulled several herbs from the cabinet and explained the healing power of each, how to mix them, and when to ingest them. Bumi was regrettably in the kitchen at the time, smirking at Lin as she was schooled in the ways of womanhood. Tenzin entered just as they finished, raising his eyebrows at her presence.

"Hi, Lin," he greeted her awkwardly.

"Hey," she responded, quickly placing the small box of herbs out of his view.

"What are you guys doing in here?" He asked, looking at the group of girls huddled around the medicinal cabinet conspicuously. He moved to pour himself a cup of tea, careful to avoid getting too close to them.

"Just getting Lin something for her upset stomach," Katara answered him ambiguously and Lin was relieved that her enthusiasm for menstruation didn't extend to telling her son the happy news.

Bumi snorted from where he sat at the table, "Beifong is riding the crimson wave," he corrected.

All three women narrowed their eyes at him as Tenzin choked nervously on the tea he sipped. He coughed for a moment and Katara moved to pat his back, which at least gave Lin something to laugh about.

"That is enough Bumi," she reprimanded from beside Tenzin as Sokka appeared in the doorway.

"Are you two staying for lunch?" Katara asked, just as Tenzin moved away from her grip attempting in vain to control his coughing.

Sokka looked to Lin, who shrugged.

"No, I think we're going to head back. Thanks though," Sokka provided, well versed in reading Lin's non-verbal cues by now. She didn't want appear ungrateful, but he could tell she wanted to get home. It was only a matter of time before the story about her attack came out and she wasn't in the mood to be fussed over and questioned, however well-intentioned.

Katara nodded, looking between them with understanding, "Okay. Lin- you call me if you need anything, okay sweetheart?"

"Yeah," Lin agreed, lifting the small bag Katara had put together for her from the table and making her way to Sokka.

When they arrived back at the house, the clean-up began. Lin was shaking the gravel from her bedsheets when Sokka disappeared into the hallway, only to return with his boomerang in hand. He was staring at it as it rested in the palm of his hand, so intently she thought he might burn a hole through the middle.

After a moment he looked up at her, "Listen, can we talk?"

Lin nodded, sitting down on the edge of her dusty bed. Sokka came to sit beside her, holding the boomerang before them.

"I was just a kid when my Dad left my village to fight the Fire Nation," he began, "and before he left he gave me this. He told me that it would always come back to protect me, just like he would."

Lin studied the boomerang in his hand, nodding silently.

"He made it. This isn't the original, actually. I lost the original one during the war, but I did it to save your Mom's life so I'd say that's a fair trade," he smiled, reminiscing.

"Anyway," he continued, "he made this one too. What I'm trying to say is... he's not coming back anymore."

He paused and Lin saw his eyes fill with moisture and her eyes responded in kind, unable to handle the idea of watching Sokka cry.

He held his tears at bay and pressed on, "So, I wanted to give this to you now so that you know no matter what happens I'll always come back to protect you."

He passed the boomerang to her and she paused, unsure whether or not to accept something he was so clearly attached to, "Sokka..."

"Go ahead. It's a coming of age thing- like ice dodging in my culture. I know we don't have a boat readily available, but I'd say you've earned your stripes in the last day or so."

He handed the boomerang to her and she accepted with a soft smile before he reached out to grab the tube of lipstick that had fallen from her nightstand to the floor. He opened the cap with a smile and drew a half crescent on her forehead, "the mark of the brave," he said with a loving grin.

Lin laughed before leaning over to hug him.

"You know, I think it looks better on you this way," he offered, hugging her tightly.

"Thanks, Sokka."

He smiled, pulling back, "About that- you know- you don't have to, but you can call me Dad if you like."

Lin smiled, nodding again- eyes focused on the boomerang in her hands. She stood and made her way to her dresser, sliding her palm along the wall above and pulling the stone in the wall out to create two small pegs. She hung the boomerang there and smiled, "how does it look?"

"Ceremonial."

Lin smiled again, turning back to him, "thank you, Sokka."

"Of course, kiddo," he paused, "nope. Forget I said that. You are a woman now, so...Ms. Beifong- would you mind helping me sweep this gravel?"

He held one hand out to display the floor and Lin nodded, "of course."

They worked together through the remainder of the day, restoring Lin's room to its former glory. Every now and again, Lin would catch him sentimentally gazing at either her or the boomerang. It was ceremonial, marking a change in her life that she felt incredibly lucky to be sharing with someone like Sokka.

She placed the final touches on her room, moving her bed back into place with a sigh.

"See? Just like before," Sokka commented, taking in the recovered space.

Lin nodded, though she knew that from now on nothing would ever quite be 'just like it was before.'


End file.
